Manitoba

Police watchdog recommends charges against Winnipeg officer involved in October crash

A Winnipeg police officer will appear in court this spring after the unmarked police vehicle he was driving was involved in a crash that sent three people to hospital, Manitoba's police watchdog says.

Three people, including the officer facing charges, taken to hospital after crash

Crumpled cars sit along a blocked-off section of Main Street at College Avenue on Oct. 29, 2021, after an unmarked police car and another vehicle crashed. The driver of the police car will appear in court in May for dangerous driving and misuse of an emergency vehicle. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

A Winnipeg police officer will appear in court this spring after the unmarked police vehicle he was driving was involved in a crash that sent three people to hospital.

On Oct. 28, 2021, the unmarked cruiser was heading south on Main Street near College Avenue when it collided with a woman's car around 7 p.m., Winnipeg police said in a news release at the time.

The woman, in her 20s, suffered a fractured vertebrae and was taken to hospital in stable condition.

Two officers from the cruiser were also sent to hospital, with one suspected to have a broken arm. They were treated and released.

The civilian director of the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said there are reasonable grounds to believe the officer driving committed an offence, the IIU said in a news release on Wednesday.

The driver, Const. Bradley Louden, was summoned to appear in Winnipeg Provincial Court on May 16 for dangerous driving and misuse of emergency vehicle equipment.

The IIU will not comment further while the case is before the courts.

CBC News has also asked the Winnipeg Police Service for comment, but didn't immediately receive a response.