At 12:00 p.m on Thursday March 30, 2017 the Owen Sound Police responded to a motor vehicle collision that closed the intersection of 10th Street and 7th Avenue East for more than an hour.

The collision was caused after the driver of westward vehicle made a turn from 10th Street across a live lane of traffic with the intention of travelling southbound onto 7th Avenue. The unsafe turn caused an oncoming eastwardly vehicle to collide with the turning car.

The impact that was delivered by the oncoming vehicle had enough force to spin the turning vehicle almost one hundred and eighty degrees where it finally came to a stop on the roadway facing towards the Julie McArthur Arena. The violent impact caused the side and front airbags of the turning vehicle to deploy into the face and body of the driver and left the vehicle severely damaged. The driver was taken to hospital by EMS with undisclosed injuries. The driver of the oncoming vehicle was not injured.

Drivers are reminded to always use caution when driving, especially near highly travelled intersections where there are greater volumes of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Tragedy was likely averted in this collision because both drivers were wearing their seatbelts.

Unsafe lane changes and turns are choices made by drivers and when collisions like these occur charges are laid by the police. In this case, the driver that turned was charged with turn not in safety contrary to the Highway Traffic Act.

source: media release, Owen Sound Police Services