GORDON—When surveying the carnage left behind, one must realize how very fortunate it was that no one was seriously injured in a horrific motor vehicle accident that started when a vehicle being driven on Highway 542 north, travelling toward Gore Bay, ended up on the eighth fairway at the Manitoulin Golf Course this past Saturday morning.
“Pam I were standing on the alternate white tee box at the eighth tee, when we heard something coming towards us quickly. We could hear when it hit the gravel on the road; it was like a roar and a rumble, and was travelling toward the Golf Course Road,” stated Sharon MacDonald, who saw and heard the incredible mishap taking place before them. “Then the log fence was obliterated as the vehicle came through.”
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated the mishap and reported that the incident was caused by a vehicle mechanical failure.
The vehicle, a grey Jeep Patriot, with the driver and two children inside had been travelling on Highway 542 north (just passing the hill on the highway), before the gradual turn toward Gore Bay or left onto Golf Course Road. Due to mechanical failure in the vehicle, the driver was unable to negotiate the corner on the highway, and instead it went across the highway, over an embankment, across Golf Course Road, crashed into the wooden fence at the back of the eighth tee box at the golf course, then hit the tee box itself causing damage, before then going right into the fescue, down the tree line and back into the fairway before it stopped.
“When the car got through the fescue and onto the fairway we were afraid it was going to roll on to its left side when it made a stop on the fairway close to the bridge,” said Ms. McDonald.
The OPP report that the accident had been caused by the vehicle suffering a mechanical failure (which the Recorder learned included the power steering on the vehicle).
There was considerable damage done to the vehicle.
“We were about seven or eight feet from the vehicle when the driver opened the door of the vehicle and she showed me the steering wheel, which was very loose,” said Ms. MacDonald. She pointed out there were two children, both boys, around 11 and 12 years old in the back of the vehicle.
Peter Carter and Grant Lochead were at the yellow tee box on the eighth hole when the incident unfolded in front of them. “I was just picking up my golf bag when the vehicle crashed through the fence and destroyed the ball washer,” Mr. Carter told the Recorder.
The man and the two youngsters in the car were visiting Manitoulin Island.
The OPP reports there were no charges laid as a result of the accident and no one was injured.
The accident took place at about 10:30 am on Saturday, August 3.
