OPP investigating another fatal motorcycle crash

Ontario Provincial Police are investigating another fatal motorcycle collision.

The most recent incident happened Tuesday night south of Tillsonburg.

Just before 6 p.m., first responders were called to the community of Bayham where a motorcycle and vehicle collided head-on along Heritage Line.

Police said the motorcyclist was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.

Their name has not been released.

The driver and passenger in the car were taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

"Our thoughts are with those individuals, they are very lucky to have survived," said Acting Sgt. Ed Sanchuk. "I've seen a lot of things in my time in 23 years, this is something you never want to see ever again."

MORE FATAL MOTORCYCLE CRASHES

The crash on Tuesday is the most recent fatality involving a motorcyclist in Norfolk or Elgin County.

On June 17, a motorcycle and pickup truck collided just south of Brantford at Cockshutt Road and Thompson Road East. The motorcycle driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the pickup was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being extricated from the vehicle by firefighters.

A few days earlier, on June 14, there was another fatal crash involving a motorcycle. Police said the bike and an SUV collided at the intersection of St. John's Road East and Cockshutt Road. The motorcycle rider was killed and his passenger taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the SUV was later charged with careless driving causing death.

Another fatal crash happened on May 13 near Port Dover. Police said a motorcycle struck another vehicle on Blueline Road and St. John's Road East around 1:14 p.m. The motorcycle rider was taken to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead. The other driver was not hurt.

WHO'S AT FAULT?

The Ontario Provincial Police released data in May on the motorcycle crashes they responded to between 2012 and 2021.

They investigated 326 fatal motorcycle collisions on provincially-patrolled roads during that 10-year period.

Of those, the motorcycle drivers were 60.7 per cent at fault for the crash while 39.3 per cent were determined to be the fault of the other driver.

Police also said that 120 of the fatal collisions involved a single motorcycle while in 222 cases there was another vehicle involved.

"The data is a stark reminder that there can be zero risks and errors on the part of motorcyclist and that even the safest, most defensive riders must rely on nearby motorists exercising the same degree of safety in order to avoid causing a deadly crash," the OPP media release read. "Excessive speed, failing to yield right of way and driver inattention remain lead contributing factors in OPP-investigated motorcycle fatalities every year."

In 2021 alone, OPP responded to 34 fatal motorcycle crashes.

ROAD SAFETY TIPS

OPP said motorcyclists are typically at higher risk in a collision.

"All these vulnerable road users out there, they don’t have the protection of a safety cage around them," said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt. "If they are involved in a collision, regardless of who is right or wrong, you are the one who is going to pay the price in the injury."

The Motorcycle & Moped Industry Council, a national motorcycle safety advocate group, said all riders should act like they're invisible on the road – not invincible.

"Even though you’re wearing all the 'high vis' clothing, ride defensively in an intersection [and] cover the brakes," said David Grummett.

Grummet is a professional racer and rider, and has been in his fair share of crashes. He said when he was teen he collided with another vehicle at an intersection.

"I had a leather jacket on. I had gloves on. But to be honest, jeans don’t cut it. So I got skinned up a little bit," he recounted.

Grummett said wearing the right gear all the time is one of the most important things motorcyclists should do before they hit the road.

Another tip is to anticipate what is ahead of you so you can always be prepared.

"To sort of predict what is going to happen and execute if you need to," Grummett said. "Your eyes are the windows to your brain. If you’re looking down at the road, whether in a car or motorcycle, if you are not looking past the hood ornament, things happen quick. Train your eyes to look ahead."

The OPP have also posted videos on their social media accounts sharing road safety tips.

-- With reporting by Heather Senoran and CTV London