(Essa Township, ON) On Sunday the 7th of September 2014 at 9:43 p.m. a concerned motorist reported 3 motor vehicles racing northbound on County Road 15 just north of the Town of Alliston. The vehicles were reported to be travelling together at a very high rate of speed.
Officers from the Nottawasaga OPP located the motor vehicles travelling northbound on County Road 10 near Camp Hill Road in the Township of Essa. All three vehicles, a grey Hyundai, a black Hyundai and a white Ford were all determined to be travelling in tandem and at a high rate of speed.
The drivers were stopped and as a result of the investigation, 25-year old male Michael COLLINS of Essa Township, 19-year old male Joshua KIRSCHNER of Essa Township and 19-year old male Andrew MCEACHERN of Oro-Medonte Township were all charged with Racing/Stunt Driving. Their licences were immediately suspended for seven days and their motor vehicles were impounded for seven days.
The OPP supports this stunt driving legislation and any other legislation aimed at saving lives and taking drivers who engage in high-risk behaviour off the road. Driving 50 or more kph. over the posted speed limit is one of the most serious and reckless forms of aggressive driving. A recent study conducted by Western University and MTO found that there are about 58% fewer speed-related deaths and injuries a month for young males since the law took effect in 2007.
Aggressive driving is one of the “Big Four†driving behaviours that contribute to road fatalities in Ontario and is a major target for the OPP Provincial Traffic Safety Program (PTSP), in their efforts to save lives.