‘Much more complex driving situation’: Concerns mount over rural road collisions in Wellington County

An intersection on a rural stretch of road in Wellington County is raising concerns for both residents and police after it’s been the site of multiple collisions over the years.

One Wellington County resident and business owner says more needs to be done to address the issues at the intersection of Wellington Road 22 and Eighth line – starting with the installation of traffic lights.

It comes just days after a two-vehicle collision Friday morning claimed the life of a 40-year-old Fergus man.

"Two passenger vehicles collided, sadly a 40-year-old from Fergus was pronounced deceased at scene," said Const. Joshua Cunningham with Wellington County OPP.

Around 10:30 a.m., emergency crews were called to a crash on Highway 6, just south of Eighth Line, involving an SUV and a pickup truck. The driver of the SUV died at the crash site while the driver of the pickup was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

OPP say there are no updates on charges. They have not released the name of the deceased but police says he was a new father to an infant that was just a few months old.

"Right now there is no updates, it's too early,” Cunningham told CTV News. “Reconstructionists are very thorough and are collecting quite a bit of data so that information will have to be tallied still."

This latest collisions is now shedding more light on the area, as it’s just metres away from an intersection that’s notorious for collisions.

"We have a number of bends, hills up and down in multiple lanes,” Cunningham explained. “All these dynamics create a sort of much more complex driving situation,"

Guelph resident and nearby business owner, Adrian Trochta, says the number of collisions that have taken place at the intersection of Wellington Road 22 and Eighth line is perplexing.

"Over the last 30 years of being in this area here, I've unfortunately had to be a first responder myself a number of times to accidents here," Trochta said.

There’s been 14 fatalities in Wellington County alone this year as a result of collisions.

"One is even bad but 14 puts us on a level that should remind drivers we need to be cautious," Cunningham said.

Meantime, Trochta is advocating for traffic lights to be put up at the intersection near his business, which he says should have been done years ago.

"[I] really wish that would happen sooner than later, I think it would be better for everyone,” he said. “It would be a severe adjustment I think but only for the better."

CTV News reached out to both the County of Wellington and Ministry of Transportation for comment but did not get a response.

OPP is encouraging drivers to take extra precautions when driving on rural roads and to be aware of possible hazards such as bends in the road, lighting, unpaved and unmarked roads and speed changes.