(TOWNSHIP OF PERTH EAST, ON) – On Friday June 17, 2016, shortly before 6 a.m., Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers were dispatched to a collision involving two tractor trailers and a pickup truck on Perth Line 26 West of Tavistock.
Investigation indicated that an east bound Mack truck pulling a full sized trailer loaded with soybeans crossed over into the west bound lane of Perth Line 26 where it struck the full sized cement tanker trailer pulled by a Freightliner truck that was travelling west bound. After this collision the Freightliner entered the North ditch and field where it came to a stop. The driver of a west bound Chevy pickup truck that was following the Freightliner truck had to veer into the north ditch to avoid a head-on collision with the Mack truck.
The 38-year-old male driver of the west bound tractor trailer a Brampton resident, as well as the 39-year-old male driver of the pickup truck did not sustain injuries as a result of the collisions. The west bound tractor trailer sustained moderate damage while the pickup truck was undamaged.
The 34-year-old driver of the east bound tractor trailer, Thomas Jeffery BARRY of the Municipality of Huron East was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. He has been charged with “careless driving”, contrary to the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario. His truck was severely damaged.
The Ontario Ministry of Environment was contacted due to rupturing of a fuel tank and a subsequent diesel fuel spill. A crane was utilised to remove the tractor trailer from the field.
Perth Line 26 was closed to traffic from 6 a.m. until 11:40 a.m. allowing for the safe removal and clean-up of debris and vehicles from the scene.