24 year old dead after east-end crash on highway 174, police watchdog investigating

Ottawa police had been in pursuit of the Volkswagen  prior to the fatal collision on regional road 174. An unidentified 24 year old male, the sole occupant, died at the scene. One police cruiser was in pursuit of the vehicle which was travelling on regional road 174 without headlights.

Ontario's Special investigation unit is looking into what led to a fatal collision on regional road 174 at the Trim road exit. The SUI will investigate the pursuit as well as  the length of the pursuit. SUI will also investigate if/when the pursuit was called off. Ottawa Police have told SUI the pursuit had been called off prior to the crash.

The vehicle appears to have struck a cement meridian on the highway. The damage to the front end of silver Volkswagen is extensive.

The SUI says some time after midnight Ottawa police 'attempted to initiate a traffic stop in the Trim road area.' A short time later the victim's vehicle crashed near the junction of the highway and Trim road.

The SIU has assigned four investigators, two forensic investigators and a reconstructionist to examine the circumstances of this incident. The investigators will likely try to figure out how fast the vehicle was travelling. The posted limit is 90km/hr.

The police watchdog is called in anytime a police are involved in a fatality. It's an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

More to come...