OPP charge driver in crash that injured CTV reporter Stephanie Villella

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Wellington County have laid a charge in the crash that sent CTV News Kitchener reporter Stephanie Villella to hospital with life-threatening injuries earlier this year. 

On Saturday, OPP released a video on Twitter announcing a 92-year-old driver from Guelph was charged with careless driving causing bodily harm in connection with the March 1 crash in Puslinch Township.

Stephanie was covering a separate earlier crash at the intersection of Brock Road South and Maltby Road near Guelph.

The road was closed and barricaded for the investigation.

OPP report Stephanie was standing at the northern point of the scene when a southbound vehicle struck her.

She was sent to a trauma centre for treatment.

The driver of the sedan remained at the scene.

Stephanie is recovering from her injuries. CTV News continues to respect her family’s wishes for privacy at this time, sharing updates only with her family’s consent.

READ MORE: Road closure and emergency detour signs, what motorists should do when they come across them

In the video released on Saturday, OPP Const. Joshua Cunningham stressed the importance of following road closure signage, with the signage erected with people’s safety in mind.

"We remind people quite regularly to not drive past road closed barricades," Const. Cunningham told CTV news. "Don't follow the driver in front of you. You don't know if that driver may have purpose there. They may be driving to the scene to assist. We have a lot of drivers that seem to be following the herd and they'll follow around because someone in front of them did it. It doesn't matter if someone else does something, that doesn't necessarily mean its the right thing for you.

"If you see a road closure sign, find an alternate route."

Editor's note: The thoughts of our CTV News Kitchener team continue to be with Stephanie and her family, and we wish her a full and speedy recovery.