An Essex OPP officer is clear of any charges following a fatal crash near Manning Road.

The Special Investigations Unit was called in after the accident at County Road 46 and Manning Road on April 18.

Investigators say a 39-year-old driver sped away from a cruiser, reaching speeds of 155 kilometres an hour.

“The only reasonable inference to draw from this investigation is that the man fled from the police in an attempt to elude apprehension,” says SIU director Ian Scott.

The driver lost controlled and rolled his car several times. He was ejected and trapped under the roof.

“There is no suggestion of contact between the two vehicles,” says Scott. “It would appear that the man was the author of his own misfortune when he lost control of his vehicle.”

With the help of others, the officer lifted the vehicle and pulled the man out, but he was later pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination determined the probable cause of death to be trauma to the neck and head.