Ont.’s police watchdog investigating after Centre Wellington man seriously injured
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating a crash near Belwood Lake that saw a 43-year-old Centre Wellington man transported to hospital.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says it happened around 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Wellington Road 18 and Fourth Line, a few kilometres northeast of Fergus, Ont.
The SIU says shortly after midnight, Halton police officers attempted to stop a black Chrysler 300 alleged to have committed traffic infractions in another jurisdiction.
“The attempt was unsuccessful and officers disengaged,” the SIU said in a media release.
When the car entered Wellington County, OPP officers tried to stop to the vehicle.
At 1:45 a.m., the car left the roadway and entered a ditch.
The SIU says the driver was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a serious injury. The nature of the injury was not specified.
RESIDENTS REACT
One driver, who spoke to CTV News on camera but did not want to be identified by name, said she was on her way to work Wednesday morning around 6:30 a.m. when she saw the car in the ditch and some police officers.
“It looked like they had just arrived. The scene looked very sad or scary,” she said.
Nearby residents say this isn’t the first time there’s been dangerous driving so close to home.
“Everybody speeds down this road anyways. Every time I come home, I always have to slow down and people are just tailgating you all the time,” said James Hetzel, who lives nearby.
ROAD CLOSURES
Police shut down around 7 km of roadway in the area Wednesday morning.
As of 4 p.m., Wellington Road 18 remains closed between Fifth Line and Third Line. Fourth Line is still closed between Wellington Road 18 and Eramosa-Garafraxa Townline.
SIU APPEALS FOR INFORMATION
Three investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned to the case.
The SIU is asking anyone who has information about the incident, including video or photos, to contact the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.