Trucks involved in significant number of road accidents

TRANSPORT TRUCKRELATED COLLISIONS

CONTINUE to take a significant toll on human life on provincial roads, with one in five road crashes investigated by the OPP involving large commercial vehicles.

Among the 1,342 fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads between 2012 and 2016, 266 involved transport trucks. During the same five-year period, 330 people died – the majority of victims were occupants of other involved vehicles. According to OPP data, 44 of the crash victims were drivers of the transport trucks, compared to 286 victims who were in cars and other smaller vehicles.

More recent data reveals that over the past three years, a significant number of collisions were caused by transport trucks in poor operating condition. Between July 2014 and June 2017, 344 collisions involved defective transport trucks, six of which were fatal and 37 of which resulted in injuries.

Damaged axles, blown tires or detached wheels, faulty brakes, defective hitches and unsecured loads are just some of the many factors in truck-related crashes. At times, unsecured loads or truck equipment flying into the path of other vehicles produced tragic consequences.

JUNE 15

4:57 PM Damage was minor as two vehicles collided in the eastern intersection of the roundabout at Arthur Street and Sawmill Road near St. Jacobs. There were no injuries.

JUNE 18

8:57 AM | Police were called to Kressler Road in Wellesley Township when a car struck a deer. No one was injured.

JUNE 19

5:15 PM | Emergency workers responded to the Elora Gorge to rescue a man who’d fallen to the bottom. Four young people hiking in the gorge had attempted to climb out. The men were able to climb approximately 50-60 feet above the riverbed to the top of the gorge. Realizing they were on residential property, they decided to climb back down. Almost immediately after starting their descent, a 20-year-old man slipped and fell. Emergency services responded and numerous Centre Wellington Fire Department personnel were able to extricate the man using ropes and a stretcher. He was transported by air ambulance to St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto with life-threatening injuries. The Wellington County OPP is asking anyone that may have witnessed this incident to please call 1-888-310-1122. 7:30 PM | An on-farm accident claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy on a property near Milverton. Emergency crews responded to the scene, where the boy had been working in a barn. The child was transported to an area hospital and later pronounced deceased. The Perth County OPP and the Office of the Coroner continue to investigate this incident.