Peel Region paramedic charged in fatal Oakville crash

Victim was found 600 metres away from car that was in lake

MILTON — A Peel Region paramedic has been charged with impaired driving causing death following a bizarre crash that sent a car into Lake Ontario in Oakville in the early hours on Monday, killing one.

The Peel Region paramedics union confirmed in a tweet Tuesday morning that Aaron Dobbs, 22, is a new member.

“We can confirm that the accused in yesterday’s Oakville crash into the lake was one of our new members,” the tweet read.

“Our thoughts are with the families Peel Region of those paramedic impacted. We Aaron Dobbs of are unable to Welland. comment further as the matter is before the courts.”

Dobbs, of Welland, has been charged with impaired driving causing death and refusing to provide a breath sample.

Dobbs appeared in court in Milton on Tuesday, where the victim of the crash was identified as Shawn Harpur.

Halton police had earlier said the victim was a 27-year-old man from Mississauga, but said they would not confirm his name at the request of his family.

His body was recovered to the west of the crash scene around 11 a.m. on Monday, near the former site of Edgemere Estate, a landmark property in Oakville’s “gold coast” of mega-mansions.

Speaking to reporters at the scene, Const. Ryan Anderson said police found his body on the shore about 600 metres west of the crash site, adding he could not speculate on how the body got to the location where it was found.

“How the deceased ended up there I don’t know,” he said.

No one else was believed to be in the car at the time, police said.

Halton police were initially called to the area of Maple Grove Drive and Lakeshore Road East just after 3 a.m. on Monday to investigate reports someone was knocking on doors.

Officers found a man in the area and a navy blue Chrysler four-door sedan in the lake.