GOAT ISLAND—The long weekend got off to a rocky start last Thursday evening when a male cyclist was struck by a vehicle on Goat Island, north of the swing bridge in Little Current.
According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), on Thursday, July 31 at 5:48 pm police responded to a report of a motor vehicle and bicycle collision on Highway 6 at Goat Island. Investigation revealed that a 76-year-old male driver of the Northeast Town driving a white Dodge Caravan was travelling southbound on Highway 6 when he crossed the centre line and struck a northbound male riding a bicycle. Witnesses report that the cyclist was thrown over the guardrails, landing in the water below with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to the Manitoulin Health Centre in Little Current and was transferred that same evening by air ambulance to Health Sciences North in Sudbury. The cyclist, who was not named by police, remained in the intensive care unit over the weekend, according to the OPP.
As a result of the investigation the 76-year-old man has been charged with careless driving contrary to the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario.
Maja Mielonen, chair of the Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates, called the incident “extremely unfortunate.” She noted that she has been forced off the road by a passing vehicle in the past.
Ms. Mielonen spoke of the Island culture of hurrying to and from the swing bridge in the summer months and called for the Ministry of Transportation, monitored by the Ontario Provincial Police, to create a ‘no passing’ zone between the bridge and the passing lanes on Highway 6.
“It’s so unfortunate that the road isn’t shared to the degree of everybody’s safety,” she said. “We have to treat each other with mutual respect. Let’s look after our cycling tourists who have increasingly chosen Manitoulin as their destination.”
