MARATHON – On Monday, August 13, 2018, at approximately 5:00 pm, members of the Marathon and Manitouwadge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision (MVC), on Highway 17, approximately 1 km east of Highway 614.
A westbound motor vehicle, a Hyundai Santa Fe, left the roadway entering the westbound ditch. The vehicle struck a rock-cut head-on causing it to vault across the roadway, coming to rest against a rock-cut in the eastbound ditch.
The driver, an 80-year-old male, and passenger a 78 year old female both from Winnipeg, MB were unable to exit the vehicle and had to be extracted by the Manitouwadge and Marathon Fire Departments. Both had received major injuries and were transported to a local hospital by Manitouwadge and Marathon Emergency Medical Services (EMS). They were both then transferred to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre for further treatment.
The highway was closed for approximately 6 hours then opened to one lane for approximately 3 hours until the motor vehicles were removed and clean up was completed.
The OPP Technical Traffic Collision Investigation (TTCI) unit attended and the investigation is ongoing in this MVC.
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. If you are fatigued, please pull over and rest.
Drive safe and stay alert.
