Police deemed not responsible for causing crash where woman died

Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News

Manitoba’s police watchdog has concluded its investigation into a crash in October where a woman was killed, ruling police were not responsible for the crash happening.

On Oct. 4, police performed a traffic stop on a vehicle that was driving east on Provencher Boulevard.

At the time police said the driver failed to stop and sped off, as police followed.

The driver eventually lost control of the vehicle, crossed a concrete median and hit a vehicle that was travelling west.

The woman driving the other vehicle died from her injuries.

Police arrested James Joseph Wieler, 31 and charged him with dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death, operation of a conveyance causing death while impaired, flight while being pursed by a peace officer and operation of a conveyance while prohibited.

Those charges have not been proven in court.

The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) started investigating the actions of police to determine whether officers were responsible for the crash.

The IIU said it went through police information, witness accounts, video footage, vehicle data and a collision analysis report.

Investigators determined police did not contribute to the crash or the death that happened.

The IIU said it is no longer needed in the investigation.