The province’s Special Investigations Unit has invoked its mandate on a Vaughan crash on Highway 407 that left three people injured, including a police officer.

A York Regional Police SUV-style vehicle was in the westbound lanes of the highway at around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday when an officer pulled over a vehicle just west of Jane Street.

The driver of the vehicle that was pulled over was asked to sit in the backseat of the cruiser, which was parked on the shoulder of the highway, the SIU said in a news release issued on Thursday night.

Shortly after, the cruiser was rear-ended by another vehicle.

Images from the scene showed the cruiser with severe damage to its back end. Aerial images also showed a black SUV with severe front-end damage.

Three people were taken to hospital from the scene. The man detained in the cruiser suffered serious injuries in the crash, while the police officer and the driver of the other vehicle sustained minor injuries.

The westbound lanes of Highway 407 at Jane Street were closed for several hours after the crash but they have since reopened.

Three investigators, two forensic investigators and one collision reconstructionist are investigating this crash on behalf of the SIU.

The SIU is called in whenever police are involved in a death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact investigators at 1-800-787-8529.