Officers of the Southern Georgian Bay Ontario Provincial Police Detachment were kept busy investigating three crashes late in the day on Sunday on roadways in North Simcoe.
Near 10:57 p.m. on October 29th, a community member contacted the OPP Communication Centre after observing an eastbound vehicle on Robert Street, Penetanguishene enter a ditch striking a tree and a road sign and the vehicle continued despite dragging car parts with it as it headed east. Officers were able to locate the vehicle in a medical facility parking lot in the Town of Penetanguishene and also located the driver nearby. Upon observing and speaking with the driver, an impaired driving investigation was commenced.
As a result of that investigation, a 53-year-old of Orillia has been charged criminally with the following offenses:
- Operation while impaired – alcohol
- Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)
- Dangerous operation
The accused was released from custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice on November 20, 2023. The accused also faces a 90-day drivers licence suspension as per the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines as well the vehicle was towed and impounded for 7 days.
A community member contacted the OPP Communication Centre at 7:57 p.m. October 29, 2023, to report a vehicle in the ditch on Talbot Street, Tay Township which appeared to have rolled over. Attending officers through investigation learned that the 40-year-old Tay Township driver escaped injury after avoiding wildlife on the roadway. Motorists are advised that the large game hunting season is soon to began and may cause more deer to be mobile making them possibly more visible on area roadways here in North Simcoe.
A report of a serious single-vehicle crash was called into the OPP Communication Centre at 7:15 p.m. October 29, 2023 on the southbound lanes of Highway 400 near Crooked Bay Road, Georgian Bay Township closed one southbound lane for investigation purposes.
Attending officers, Simcoe County Paramedics, and Georgian Bay Township Fire Services contained the scene, extricated and triaged the lone 47-year-old Gravenhurst resident who was transported to an area hospital by paramedics and onward to a Toronto area trauma hospital for further treatment. OPP Technical Traffic Collision Investigators (TTCI) are assisting in the investigation into the cause of the crash.