Victim identified in fatal motorcycle crash in Wellington County
Police have identified the victim who died following a crash involving a motorcycle and two other vehicles just outside Guelph on Friday.
The OPP, along with paramedics and firefighters, were called to Highway 7, just west of Wellington Road 32, at approximately 11:30 p.m.
Police say the driver of the motorcycle was transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced deceased.
The driver has been identified as Vernon Russell Ward, 54, from Guelph.
On Friday officers said the precise cause of the crash is still unknown.
"There was no alcohol involved in the two passenger vehicles involved," explained Cst. Jacob Unger, with the Wellington County OPP on Friday.
“Some witness statements gathered did indicate that the driver of the motorcycle might have been possibly drinking, but none of that information has been confirmed yet,” he added.
"ALARMING" TREND
It was just two months ago when the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) called the number of fatalities involving motorcycles “alarming.”
Updated numbers provided to CTV News on Saturday evening show there have been 37 motorcycle fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads so far in 2022.
That compares to 31 for the entire year in 2021.
Investigators say they’re seeing some common factors in crashes involving motorcycles.
"So, there were three main contributing factors for motor cycle collisions and one was loss of control, failing to yield and excessive speeding,” stated Unger.
OPP said they will continue their work on preventing further fatalities, while they continue to work with different community and government partners.
"We continue to take a proactive approach as well, not just through education, but through patrols..trying to encourage proper driving behavior,” Unger said.
“Officers are always on the lookout for speeders and people driving dangerously."
He adds that, at the end of the day, police just want everyone to be able to return home safely.
In the case of Friday night’s crash, police continue their investigation and anyone who may have witnessed the collision is being asked to contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
U.S. intelligence officials wanted to meet with Transport Canada's UFO 'lead'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.