Durham police officers charged in fatal wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 to appear in court
Posted February 13, 2025 10:56 am.
Two Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) officers who were charged in connection with a deadly wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 in Whitby last spring will make a court appearance in Oshawa on Thursday.
Sergeant Richard Flynn and Constable Brandon Hamilton are each charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm following an investigation by the province’s police watchdog.
Authorities were called to a robbery at an LCBO in Clarington, Ont., on April 29, 2024, and officers began chasing the suspect, who fled in a cargo van. The suspect driver then merged Hwy. 401, driving in the opposite direction, leading to a multi-vehicle crash involving at least six cars.
As a result of the collision, four people died, including an infant, and two people were seriously injured. The driver of the cargo van was also killed in the crash.
Audio of the car chase released months after the crash revealed at least one Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer expressed concern that “someone is going to get hurt” after seeing the high-speed chase going in the wrong direction on the highway.
During the probe, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said that Flynn and Hamilton had not submitted their notes or agreed to be interviewed in the review.
