HAMILTON — Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating the deaths of two men in a car crash following an interaction with a Hamilton police officer Sunday night.
The province’s Special Investigations Unit says there was an interaction between a Hamilton officer and a man who was driving erratically on John Street near Forest Avenue around 11 p.m.
The watchdog says the man fled in the vehicle and crashed into another driver.
Two male passengers in the vehicle that was hit were killed – one was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was taken to hospital, where he later died.
The SIU says the driver of the car that was struck was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the vehicle that fled, a 20-year-old man from Hamilton, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
He has been arrested and charged with impaired operation causing death, and Hamilton police say he awaits a bail hearing.
The force says the incident was the city’s 17th and 18th traffic fatalities this year.
The watchdog is urging anyone with information or dash-cam footage related to the case to contact them.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
