Update on Canal Road incident

On Saturday June 9th, at approximately 6:30am, South Simcoe Police received a 911 call reporting a single motor vehicle collision on Canal Road east of Simcoe Road in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.

Officers arrived within a few minutes to find that a westbound Pontiac Grand AM had lost control and struck a tree on the south side of the Holland River Canal. There was extensive damage to the vehicle and the driver was trapped inside with serious injuries.

Bradford West Gwillimbury Fire and Simcoe County EMS worked together to extricate the victim.

Once removed from the vehicle, the driver was transported to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto by air ambulance.

Canal Road was closed for approximately 5 hours while a team of collision investigators reconstructed the accident.

Police have determined that excessive speed was a contributing factor in the collision. Officers will be conducting a mechanical examination, including checking the vehicles Event Data Recorder (black box) early next week to assist with their investigation.

As of 6:30pm on June 9th, the driver, a 24-year old Bradford man was listed in stable condition in hospital. His injuries are considered serious but non-life threatening.

The Canal Road collision investigation in Bradford has been concluded by members of the South Simcoe Police - Traffic Unit.

This involved a 24 year old Bradford man who was driving in the early morning hours of the June 9 and was seriously injured after striking a tree.

The investigation has resulted in four criminal charges being laid against him:

1) Impaired Operation of Motor Vehicle 2) Excess Blood Alcohol - over 80mgs 3) Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle

4) Fail to Comply with a Judges Order

He was charged by police with these offences on July 28 and released on a Promise to Appear along with an undertaking with numerous conditions.

He will be appearing in a Bradford Court Room on 6 September 2007.