More than 60 crashes in Guelph and Waterloo Region Tuesday, two involving same driver

Snow squalls make for a messy mix on Highway 8 in Kitchener on Nov. 28. 2023. (Chris Thomson/CTV Kitchener)

The Guelph Police Service says its officers were called to 22 crashes Tuesday as southern Ontario was hit with its first major snowfall of the season.

Minor injuries were reported in three of the collisions.

One driver, a 51-year-old man, was involved in two of them, police said.

In the first, he allegedly lost control of his pickup on a residential street, knocked down a sign and skidded onto someone’s front lawn. It happened around 2:30 p.m. The homeowner called police and an officer spoke to the man before sending him on his way.

Around six hours later, just before 8 p.m., the same driver called police to report he had lost control on Meyer Drive and hit a utility pole, police said.

He was charged with careless driving.

To the south, near Brantford, OPP shut down a section of Highway 403 for much of the afternoon Tuesday after at least 10 vehicles were involved in crashes.

In Waterloo Region, local police said they responded to around 45 collisions Tuesday.

“We remind motorists to ensure that their vehicle is winter ready and clear of snow prior to driving, to drive according to weather and road conditions, and to give themselves extra time to reach their destination during inclement weather,” Waterloo regional police Const. Melissa Quarrie said in an email.