A driver from Manitoba, aged 54, is facing charges of reckless driving in northern Ontario, following his tractor trailer’s off-road accident last Friday. The tractor-trailer unit (TTU), loaded with wood chips, veered off Highway 17A in proximity to Middle Lake Road on the 25th of August.
Kenora Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), along with local emergency services — Kenora Emergency Medical Services and Pellatt United Firefighters, were dispatched to the scene following reports of the TTU off the highway and lodged in an embankment.
According to OPP, no other vehicles were implicated in the crash. Fortunately, the sole occupant, the driver himself, managed to escape the ordeal unharmed. For the sake of everyone’s safety, authorities temporarily shut down the highway while first responders made certain of the area’s safety. A police-released photograph portrays the TTU lying on its side in the embankment.
The charged Manitoban commercial driver was held accountable at the scene for his careless driving. Although this charge does not constitute a criminal offence per the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, a conviction might incur penalties including a fine potentially reaching $2,000, up to a six month term of imprisonment, driver’s license suspension for up to two years, and assignment of six demerit points.
OPP maintains their commitment to remove aggressive drivers from the roads through enforcement and public education. The police further emphasized the importance of reporting suspected incidents of impaired driving by contacting 911.
The incident follows the release of statistics earlier in the year revealing a decade high for 2022 in the number of transport truck accidents and related fatalities.
