BLIND RIVER – The team responsible for investigating a rare case that saw a trucking company owner sentenced to jail after a fatal highway crash has been recognized by the OPP.
Const. David Dennie, 36, was off duty when he died in a collision involving a transport on Highway 17, just east of Blind River, in February of 2014.
The president of the Thunder Bay company that owned the truck involved, ABI Trucking Inc., was not charged in relation to Dennie’s death, but was sentenced in June to six months incarceration after pleading guilty to being a party to dangerous driving for failing to ensure his drivers complied with provincial laws and regulations for on-duty drivers, driver hours and off-duty rest hours by permitting single-driver round trips between Thunder Bay and the the Toronto area.
On Wednesday, the team that probed the case was honoured during the annual North-East Region Ontario Provincial Police Awards in Blind River.
The award for outstanding Investigation was given to Sgt. Allan Kuzenko, Provincial Const. Lorne MacIsaac and former Crown prosecutor Mary Pascuzzi.
The police were lauded for spending countless days, hours and travel time from Thunder Bay to Toronto to look for clues about the incident.
The driver of the truck faced trial in September and is waiting for a verdict on a charge of dangerous driving.
The truck was on the the return leg of a 1,377-kilometre Purolator run from Thunder Bay to the Toronto area when the collision happened and the Crown alleges the driver’s fatigue was ‘significant’ at the time of the crash
More than 100 police officers, recipients and their family members were in attendance for the ceremony in Blind River. Ten ceremonies are celebrated throughout the province to commemorate the acts of bravery, lifesaving, outstanding investigation and exemplary performance of duty by officers and civilians, stemming from the North-East region.
In total, 17 awards were received.