A 24-year-old man from the Ottawa area is dead after a single-vehicle crash in Orleans early Monday morning, and the province's Special Investigations Unit is looking into what happened.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Highway 174 and Trim Road after midnight Monday, the SIU said in a media release.

The SIU's lead investigator, Derrick Wide, told reporters at the scene Monday that a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta had been seen by police travelling east along Highway 174 without its headlights on.

"The police became involved with this vehicle. We understand there could have been a pursuit, we don't know right now. ... Then the pursuit was called off, and shortly thereafter the vehicle struck a pole. There was a single occupant in that vehicle," Wide said.

A vehicle crashed at the intersection of Highway 174 and Trim Road just after midnight. The Special Investigations Unit said the crash happened shortly after Ottawa police tried to stop the vehicle. (CBC) An autopsy was expected Tuesday and family were still being notified, Wide said.

The family has requested privacy and the victim's name is not being released.

Ottawa police said they won't comment because of the ongoing SIU investigation.

The SIU has assigned four investigators, two forensic investigators and a collision reconstructionist to look into what caused the crash.

Several roads in the area were closed until early Monday evening.