SIU: No charges to issue against police in relation to fatal collision in Napanee

The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Tony Loparco, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to lay criminal charges against an Ontario Provincial Police officer in Napanee in relation to a fatal collision that occurred on March 6, 2018.

The collision took place at approximately 3:30 p.m. that day after officers from the Napanee Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a complaint of an SUV being driven dangerously and at high rates of speed on Bridge Street in Napanee. The officers attempted to stop the SUV, but on County Road 2, east of Barker Side Road the SUV was involved in a collision with another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle, 88-year-old Florence Wyatt-Morris, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

As a result of that collision, Andrew Michael Slapkauskas, 42-years-old, of Belleville was charged with the following offences:

• First Degree Murder as per s.235(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada (CC);
• Attempted Murder as per s. 239(1)(b) of the CC;
• Dangerous Operation Of A Motor Vehicle as per s. 249(4) of the CC; and with
• Flight From Police Causing Death as per s. 249.1(3) CC.

The SIU invoked its mandate to investigate reports involving police where there has been death, serious injuries, or allegations of sexual assault at that time. The subsequent investigation, which involved five investigators, four forensic investigators, and one collision reconstructionist, found there were no grounds to charge OPP officers involved in the incident.