Plate check leads to multiple charges
A Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory man has been charged with multiple offences, including impaired driving after an investigation by the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on an improperly plated vehicle.
On February 15 at approximately 12 am, members of the Manitoulin (Espanola) detachment of the OPP were utilizing the automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR) system.
A vehicle was stopped for not being properly plated and the driver was found to be driving impaired.
As a result of the investigation Kyle Trudeau, 31, from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory was arrested and charged with: possession of a schedule 1 substance, heroin, possession of a schedule 1 substance, cocaine, operation while impaired by alcohol and drugs, driving while under suspension, operate unsafe vehicle and use plate not authorized for vehicle.
The accused is scheduled to appear before ethe Ontario Court of Justice in Espanola on March 13.
OPP reports collisions up across the province
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) data shows that there was an increase in the number of motor vehicle collisions and fatalities on Ontario roads between 2021 and 2022.
“The increase in fatalities noted in the data should not be viewed or accepted as an inevitable outcome of more people out on roads,” an OPP news release states.
“By any measure, a life lost in a preventable collision or other traffic incident is one too many. The most important takeaway from the data is the need for every driver and passenger to eliminate all manner of risks, as this remains the most critical factor in preventing the senseless loss of life,” the OPP reports.
The OPP provided detailed data that applies to all OPP jurisdictions. Motor-vehicle fatalities were 359 in 2022 and 315 in 2021; total number of collisions included 74,173 in 2022 and 60,599 in 2021.
The lead contributing factor (in the number of people killed in these collisions): speed-related, 85 in 2022 and 81 in 2021; inattentive related, 61 in 2022 and 60 in 2021. There were 64 alcohol-drug related deaths in vehicles in 2022 and 32 in 2021.
The number of people killed in seatbelt related included 61 in 2022 and 47 in 2021.
In the case of motorcycle related deaths, there were 44 in 2022 and 35 in 2021. The lead contributing factors (number of people killed) included seven from losing control of their motorbikes in 2022 and speed-(too fast for the conditions) six in 2021.
There were 87 fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles in each of 2022 and 2021.
The lead contributing factor in the number of people killed was 16 reported to have lost control of their vehicle while speeding (too fast for conditions) 10 in 2021.
While there were 40 pedestrian fatalities reported by the OPP in 2021, this decreased to 29 in 2022.
On the waterways, the number of boating fatalities increased in 2022 to 29, two over the number of fatalities in 2021. The primary causes of the number of people killed in 2022 included capsized vessel (13), falling overboard (nine in 2022) and 13 through capsized vessel in 2021 and 10 by falling overboard.
The number of deceased vessel occupants not wearing a personal flotation device increased to 26 in 2022 from 24 in 2021.
In terms of off-road vehicle fatalities, there were 27 in 2022 and 22 in 2021. The lead contributing factors included seven having lost control of their vehicle in 2022 compared to nine in 2021.
There was a decrease in the number of snowmobile fatalities, with 14 occurring in the 2021-22 season and 15 in the 2020-21 season. The lead contributing factors in the 2021-22 season, speed (six) and speeding, seven in the 2022-2021 season.
Police have provided the following advice to help keep people safe. Adopting and maintaining safe, lawful actions and behaviour falls on everyone who use roadways, highways, waterways and trails. Make a lifelong commitment to being a responsible driver and traveller, whether by car, bike, foot, boat, off-road vehicle or other motor vehicle. By doing so, you contribute to the overall safety of everyone who travels within our communities. Recognize that traffic safety is a shared responsibility.
