MARATHON – On Friday, June 1st, 2018, at approximately 02:00 pm, members of the Marathon and Manitouwadge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision (MVC), Highway 17, approximately 10km west of Marathon near Wolf Camp Lake.
It was reported that an eastbound tractor-trailer unit (TTU) had left the roadway and hit a rock cut. The passenger, a 57-year-old male from New Tecumseth, ON, was able to exit the vehicle. The driver, a 55-year-old male from Mississauga, ON, was trapped in his seatbelt and with the assistance of the Marathon Fire Department (MFD) and Emergency Response Services (EMS), he was removed from the vehicle. Both males were transported to a local hospital, treated for minor injuries and released. The highway was closed for approximately 1 hour then opened to one lane until the TTU removal and cleanup was completed.
The investigation revealed that the driver of the TTU was driving on the shoulder of the road unsafely to allow another motor vehicle travelling eastbound to pass him, however the TTU drove too far on the shoulder, with the front wheels sinking in the gravel and it sucked the truck down into the ditch, where it struck the rock face and came to rest on the driver’s side.
The driver was issued two Highway Traffic Act Provincial Offence Notices as a result of the investigation.
Officers are reporting seeing lots of wildlife that have wandered out near and onto the roadways in the area over the past couple of weeks. Please use caution when driving and stay alert. Try not to drive at night or when visibility is poor due to fog or heavy rain.
