Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Highway 17 Re-Opened At Crash Site

Goulais River, Ont.,

Hwy 17 north of Sault Ste Marie has been re-opened to traffic following a crash this morning.

A preliminary investigation is indicating that a station wagon and a transport were both southbound on Hwy 17. The station wagon attempted to turn left off the highway and collided with the truck.

Two out of the three passengers in the car were taken to Sault Area Hospital by ambulance with undetermined injuries. The identities of the injured parties will be know as soon as officers are able to attend the hospital.

Traffic in that area will be restricted to one lane until the transport trailer is removed. The tow truck for the trailer is on site and working to get the trailer off the traveled portion of the roadway.

Crash Closes 17 North

Goulais River , Ont.,

Sault Ste Marie OPP, fire and ambulance personnel are on the scene of a collision on Hwy 17 north of Sault Ste Marie. The highway is blocked and closed in both directions.

There is no detour available around the crash site. The crash scene is between Old Hwy 17 and Havilland Shores Drive in Goulais River. No other details are available at this time. Further details will be issued when they become available.


A Little Lack Of Communication

Sault Ste Marie OPP were called to a repair shop in Echo Bay after the owner of a vehicle reported his SUV stolen.

About two weeks ago the owner of the vehicle left it at the shop, with the keys in the vehicle, to get it repaired. He went back on Monday to check on the progress of the repair and he didn’t see the vehicle. He thought that the vehicle was in being repaired at another location. He talked to the owner of the shop last night only to discover that the vehicle was stolen.

The vehicle is described as a black 1995 Nissan Pathfinder. There is no spare tire rack on the back and one of the front signal lights is broken. It may still have Ontario licence plate AXWF-756 attached to the vehicle.

Armed Robbery

(Desbarats, Ontario) On Tuesday June 20, 2006 at approximately 7:20 pm the East Algoma OPP were advised of an armed robbery that had taken place at the 17 East Trading Post located at the junction of Highway 17 and Highway 548 (St. Joseph Island turnoff).

At approximately 9:30 pm two suspects were taken into custody in the Echo Bay Area, north of Highway 17 near the intersection of Lake George Road and Isbester Road. The suspects were apprehended and transported to the East Algoma – Thessalon Detachment. The suspects will be remanded into custody pending a bail hearing on Thursday June 22, 2006.

The two suspects are male, adults from No Fixed Address.

The investigation is ongoing. If you have any information or witnessed anything in relation to this armed robbery, contact the East Algoma OPP at 1-888-310-1122 ext 514-3400.

Pull To The Left Or Risk Being Charged

(Sudbury, Ontario) – The Sudbury detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police conducted a couple traffic “blitzs” during the weekend of June 16th to 18th, 2006 on the four lane section of Highway 17 near the Highway 144 interchange, to see how many motorists actually “pull to the left” when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle. Officers issued six warnings and charged one person for this offence but said they could have easily laid fifty charges.

This legislation came into effect on April 3rd, 2003. Bill 191, the “Pull Over” or “Pull to the Left” law is designed to protect emergency personnel. There has been an extensive Public Awareness Campaign over the last couple of years to educate the driving public.

To increase safety, Sections 159.1(1) and 159.1(2) of the Highway Traffic Act, requires motorists on the same side of road approaching a stopped emergency vehicle such as police, fire or ambulance, with flashing red lights, either in a lane or on the shoulder of the road, must slow down and proceed with caution. If the road has two or more lanes, the motorist must move over into another lane, if it can be done safely.

Failure to do so, violators are subject to a total fine of $490.00 for a first offence and $1000 to $4000 for subsequent offences, or to imprisonment for a maximum of six months, or to both a fine and imprisonment and a possible suspension of driver’s licence for up to two years. All convictions will result in the addition of three demerit points to a driver’s record.

Officers will continue to enforce this law in order to protect the lives of all emergency personnel as far too many have lost their lives in recent years and to help prevent future tragedies.