A 22-year-old Chatham-Kent man is accused of being drunk while behind the wheel as well as being disqualified from driving when he was involved in a three-vehicle crash that took the lives of two women early Friday morning in Essex County.
Leamington OPP report Jacob Fehr has been charged with two counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of driving while disqualified in connection to a crash that occurred around 6:44 am on Essex County Road 34 between Wheatley and Leamington.
The accused has been remanded in custody until a scheduled bail hearing on Tuesday, OPP said.
The driver of one vehicle involved, Jacqueline Steeman, 30, and the passenger, Carrie Steeman, 50, were both pronounced dead at the scene, OPP said.
The lone occupant of a third vehicle was not injured, OPP added.
According to police, an eastbound pickup truck traveling on County Road 34 crossed the center line and sideswiped a utility van.
The truck then crashed head-on with a westbound sedan.
The lone driver of the pickup truck was taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The section of County Road 34 in the area of the collision — also called Talbot Road East — is a two-lane roadway lined with residential, commercial, and farming properties. The posted speed limit is 80 km/h.
It’s the second time in less than a week that OPP have responded to a collision with multiple fatalities in Essex County.
On the night of March 13, on Mersea Road 8 near County Road 37 north of Wheatley, a vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a bridge embankment.
The vehicle ignited on impact and all three occupants were killed.
Friday’s collision scene was only about five kilometers from the March 13 crash site.
Anyone with information regarding this or any other incident is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at www.catchcrooks.com.
With files from Dalson Chen, Windsor Star