The province’s Special Investigations Unit is investigating after a red Honda Civic collided with a black, unmarked Ottawa police SUV that was stopped on the shoulder of Highway 417 yesterday morning.
Shortly after midnight, the Civic collided with the police Chevrolet SUV that was stopped on the shoulder of the westbound lanes of the highway near Woodroffe Avenue.
Ottawa paramedics arrived to find the lone occupant of the Civic, a 65-year-old woman, trapped and semi-conscious. They quickly extricated her and used advanced life-support procedures to stabilize the patient en route to the Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre, where she was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries that included severe head trauma. Her condition later stabilized.
Paramedics said the 38-year-old male police officer suffered minor head trauma and is in stable condition at the centre.
The two police dogs in the back of the SUV were transported to animal hospital. Assistance from the specialized tactical unit paramedics, who have some veterinary medicine training and arrived on scene, was not required.
A civilian agency, the SIU investigates cases of serious injury involving police. Anyone who witnessed this incident should call 1-800-787-8529 ext. 1872.
