An investigation by Ontario’s police watchdog is raising major questions about what happened when a 30-year-old man, who had been hit by a police cruiser, was brought to hospital in Kitchener, Ont.

According to a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) report, at around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 19, Waterloo regional police responded to a report of two people stealing supplies from a construction site on King Street.

One of the suspects left the scene on a bicycle. An officer responding in their cruiser made a right turn onto Andrew Street and hit the cyclist near King Street.

The man was then dragged by the cruiser.

“The complainant was arrested and transported to the Grand River Hospital where he was diagnosed with no fractures or internal injuries and released back into the custody of police,” the SIU said.

Police then released him from custody.

"On Dec. 23, the complainant complained to his mother of chest pain and returned to the GRH for treatment. He was turned away," the report said.

"The complainant then went to Cambridge Memorial Hospital where he was treated and diagnosed with five fractured ribs, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. He was subsequently admitted to hospital and underwent surgery."

The SIU said its investigation was more focused on the police involvement and it does not know why he was turned away at Grand River Hospital. However, the man did decline an interview with the police watchdog when it was offered.

"For patient privacy reasons, we can’t provide any specific information on this report. Speaking more generally, when someone comes to the emergency department for care they are registered, triaged, and seen by a physician or nurse practitioner, provided they don’t choose to leave on their own first," Grand River Hospital said in an email.

According to Ontario’s Patient Ombudsman, which helps resolve patient complaints about experiences in public hospitals, there is a process people can follow if they feel wronged.

“We are an office of last resort, which means patients and caregivers would first need to try and address their concerns with the health organization directly. For hospitals, that would mean contacting the patient relations department and working through the hospital’s internal complaints process. If the patient is not satisfied with the resolution, that is where we can help,” the ombudsman said in an email.