SIU clears police of criminal wrongdoing in death of Grace Glofcheskie

The province's Special Investigation Unit has cleared a Wellington County OPP officer of any criminal wrongdoing in the death of Grace Glofcheskie.

Glofcheskie died Dec. 13, 2015, when she was hit by an out of control stolen car on Woolwich Street. The stolen car was being pursued by a Wellington County OPP cruiser at the time.

SIU director Tony Loparco did rule that the unnamed subject officer's driving was "objectively dangerous," hitting speeds of 68 km/h over the posted speed limit on Woolwich Street, but that there was not enough evidence to warrant a charge of dangerous driving causing death.

Curtis Henri had just sped around a police RIDE program on Arthur Street at 2:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning when police began their pursuit.

Henri lost control of the stolen vehicle he was driving as he turned onto Norfolk Street and struck Glofcheskie who was walking home on the sidewalk after a night out with friends.

She died shortly after in hospital.

Henri, arrested a few days later, eventually pled guilty and received an eight-year prison sentence.

The pursuit lasted 40 seconds, or 1.2 kilometres, the SIU said.

“The most significant fact is that as the man approached the five-way intersection, it appears from the AVL data and video footage that the subject officer was slowing down and backing off the pursuit," Loparco said.

"This is further corroborated by a Guelph Police Service officer who saw the pursuit and followed behind. This officer observed that the man did not slow down as he attempted to proceed through the five-way intersection, but that the subject officer did slow down.”

After Henri refused to stop at the RIDE program the officer jumped in his cruiser, activated his lights and chased Henri, first onto MacDonell Street and then up Woolwich Street, past the River Run Centre.

The SIU viewed video captured on cameras from several businesses along the route.

"The man lost control of the vehicle which travelled across the southbound lanes of Woolwich Street and collided with the west curb. The vehicle mounted the west sidewalk and struck a utility pole just north of Charles Street at a speed between 116 km/h and125 km/h. The car flipped onto its roof and slid along the sidewalk and roadway."

The fact that the pursuit occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on a mostly-empty four-lane road, in a largely commercial area on dry roads, along with being a short pursuit, played into Loparco's findings.

Seven investigators, two forensic investigators and one collision reconstructionist were assigned to the investigation. Six civilian witnesses and six witness officers were interviewed.

"The subject officer did not participate in an SIU interview and did not provide a copy of his duty notes, as is his legal right," said the SIU news release.