SiRT recommends no charges
SYDNEY — A police watchdog agency has concluded no charges are warranted against Cape Breton Regional Police in connection with a fatal, single-vehicle accident in July in Sydney.
In a report released Tuesday, the Serious Incident Response Team determined that police pursuit of the vehicle was based on public safety because the suspect vehicle was being driven at excessive speed.
“Accordingly, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that a criminal offence was committed and no charges are warranted against the officer,” states the final report.
According to the report, the vehicle was travelling at 125 km/h just five seconds prior to crashing into the cement foundation of a residence on the corner of George Street and Byng Avenue on July 6.
The accident claimed the life of John James King, 43, of Villa Drive, Little Bras d’Or.
King was among four people in the vehicle at the time. The other occupants were treated in hospital for injuries.
A regional police investigation resulted in charges against 29-year-old Jonathan Daniel Marangoni of Glace Bay who was driving the vehicle. He is charged with criminal negligence causing death, criminal negligence causing bodily harm, dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing bodily harm and three counts of breaching court orders.
Marangoni is now scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on the driving-related offences June 1-2. A trial will also be held on those dates to deal with the breaches.
If ordered to trial on the driving offences, Marangoni has elected a judge alone trial in Supreme Court.
He continues his release on conditions.
According to the SiRT report, the vehicle, a white Pontiac Grand Am, and its occupants came to the attention of police when an officer noticed it was travelling slowly and after running the licence plate, learned the plate was registered to a red Honda Civic and the plate had been reported stolen the night previous.
The officer activated emergency lights and later the siren in a bid to have the driver stop but the vehicle continued to speed away.
The chase led to a dead-end street where the officer was instructed to terminate the chase. The suspect vehicle turned around on the deadend street and sped past the officer who issued a radio call for other officers to be on the lookout.
Another officer in an unmarked vehicle was nearly struck head-on when the suspect vehicle continued speeding through the streets.
According to the report, the suspect vehicle was travelling on the wrong side of the road and failed to negotiate a left turn. The vehicle skidded sideways across the road striking the cement foundation. The roof of the vehicle was crushed into the passenger side. At the time of the crash, King was seated in the rear passenger side of the car.
Police would later locate drugs in the vehicle.
SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia.