A police officer is accused of impaired driving and fleeing a traffic stop in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Thursday night.
Niagara Regional Police said a call came in at 8:20 p.m. for reports of an impaired driver. Responding officers said they located the vehicle involved, a grey Dodge Ram pickup truck, in the area of Glendale Avenue and Taylor Road.
At 8:46 p.m., officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver did not comply, police said.
“A pursuit was initiated as the vehicle was demonstrating signs of being operated by an impaired driver,” police said in a news release on Friday.
Officers decided to end the chase minutes later on York Road near Townline Road when the driver began driving in a reckless manner, which could be a risk to public safety, police said.
Minutes later, at 8:51 p.m., officers were called to the area of York Road and Four Mile Creek Road for a collision.
When they arrived, they learned that the pickup truck had collided with another vehicle.
Police said the driver of the pickup truck was arrested for impaired operation and shortly taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
No other person was injured in the collision.
Police announced on Friday that they had charged 54-year-old Paul-Andre Seguin with impaired operation of a conveyance, refuse to comply with demand (alcohol), flight from peace officer, dangerous operation, and red light – proceed before green.
Seguin, who has been a Niagara police officer for 21 years, was released on a Form 10 Undertaking, police said.
He has been suspended with pay.
The Special Investigations Unit has also invoked their mandate, police said.
The SIU is a civilian agency called in when the actions of police resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault, and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person.
