A string of motorcycle crashes on Southwestern Ontario roads during the past week, including one that killed a Londoner and another that involved an OPP cruiser, prompted a police plea for all drivers to be cautious during the summer riding season.
A string of motorcycle crashes on Southwestern Ontario roads during the past week, including one that killed a Londoner and another that involved an OPP cruiser, prompted a police plea for all drivers to be cautious during the summer riding season.
In the most recent crash, a motorcyclist was seriously injured in a collision with an OPP cruiser on Lisgar Avenue in Tillsonburg around 10 pm Sunday. The officer wasn’t hurt, police said. Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit, is probing the crash, an OPP spokesperson said on Monday, referring further inquiries to the civilian agency.
That collision followed a string of weekend crashes in Elgin County, a popular destination for motorcyclists during the summer months.
One motorcyclist was seriously injured in a collision with an SUV at the intersection of Highway 3 and Culloden Road in Bayham around 11:20 am Saturday, Elgin County OPP said. Two occupants from the SUV had minor injuries.
About an hour later, a 55-year-old motorcyclist was seriously injured after losing control on John Wise Line and crashing onto the shoulder, OPP said.
Another motorcyclist, 51, had minor injuries after a two-vehicle crash on Talbot Line and Springfield Road in Malahide Township about 4 p.m. Saturday, police said.
There have been 11 fatal motorcycle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads this year, including eight in the OPP’s west region, an area that encompasses Southwestern Ontario. Most recently, motorcyclist Ian Daniel, 42, of London was killed in a head-on crash with another vehicle on Heritage Line east of Aylmer last Tuesday.
The weekend crashes prompted the OPP’s Elgin County detachment commander to urge motorists to take extra caution during the busy summer riding season.
“Safe, defensive driving is paramount to reducing the number of motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries on our roads and highways. Sharing the road safely is every driver’s responsibility,” Insp. Mark Loucas said in a release.
“This cannot be overstated when motorcycles are involved. Please make sure to take those extra two seconds before proceeding into the intersection. Checking twice will save a life and prevent a collision.”
A recent OPP analysis of a decade’s worth of motorcycle collisions shows a steady rise in fatalities, with excessive speed, failure to yield to traffic and driver inattention to blame in the bulk of crashes.
More than 340 motorcyclists died – including 123 in the OPP’s West Region, which encompasses Southwestern Ontario – in 326 crashes on OPP-patrolled roads between 2012 and 2021, OPP figures released last month showed.
Investigators found riders at fault in 60.7 per cent of the deadly crashes, with drivers of other vehicles at fault in the remaining 39.3 per cent.