Ontario Mother Outraged as Officer Who Killed Her Son Is Promoted Following Misconduct Finding
Coreena Jones is speaking out two years after Noah Landriault, her 25-year-old son, was struck and killed by an unmarked Ontario Provincial Police Jeep driven by then-Detective Constable Rebecca Lindsay, CTV News reported.
The fatal collision occurred just before 6 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2024, as Landriault walked across Muskoka Road 169 in Bala, Ontario. Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit investigated the crash and determined Lindsay was driving approximately 25 km/h over the posted 50 km/h speed limit in a designated community safety zone.
Jones questioned why Lindsay was promoted from detective constable to detective sergeant shortly after the fatality. The promotion included a pay raise of roughly $6,300 a year.
“It felt like another stab in the heart,” Jones told CTV News. “When somebody’s life was taken and their family and friends are affected forever in ways that are absolutely detrimental, there needs to be more seriousness placed on that.”
Investigator Finds Lindsay Committed Misconduct After Crash
Following the crash, Lindsay stated to Law Enforcement Complaints Agency investigators that she mistook Landriault and a friend for a deer. She reported braking hard with no time to avoid contact, then stepping out of the vehicle to administer first aid until first responders arrived.
The Law Enforcement Complaints Agency subsequently found Lindsay committed misconduct for exceeding the speed limit and operating her vehicle in a manner that failed to promote employee safety or foster positive public perception. By March 2026, disciplinary letters identified her as a detective sergeant and outlined a penalty of 40 hours forfeited. That forfeiture amounts to roughly $2,370 under the OPP collective agreement.
The OPP stated it imposed disciplinary action in alignment with legislation and noted that Lindsay was cleared of criminal wrongdoing. Sgt. Joe Brisebois, an OPP spokesperson, did not address the promotion directly. He noted that internal discipline records form part of a comprehensive assessment during job competitions.
The OPP indicated the promotion occurred in 2024, placing it less than three months after the collision and prior to the conclusion of the misconduct findings.
Advocate Criticizes Police Response to Fatal Collision
The Ontario Provincial Police Association offered condolences but did not comment on the promotion. In a statement reported by CTV News, the association emphasized that criminal responsibility, professional misconduct, and employment decisions remain distinct areas governed by separate processes.
Road safety advocate argues the discipline does not match the severity of the outcome. Jess Spieker with Friends and Families for Safe Streets contended that the OPP should assign significantly more weight to safety records during evaluations.
“In any other job sector, that person would be fired,” Spieker told CTV News. “If killing someone does not make you ineligible for a promotion, what would?”
The police service faced prior criticism in 2020 over its handling of another fatal vehicular incident involving Tyler Dorzyk. In that case, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that the OPP’s initial classification of the misconduct as not serious was unreasonable.
Jones maintains that the timing of the promotion undermines public trust in law enforcement accountability.
“It just seems to send a ‘We’re above the law’ message,” Jones said.