(NORTHUMBERLAND, ON) – The Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has charged a motorist following multiple complaints from concerned members of the public.
On February 23, 2026, at around 9:15 a.m., police responded to a collision between two passenger vehicles on Highway 401 westbound in the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand.
The uninjured caller reported that the other driver involved failed to stop and had been unable to maintain their lane. Additional traffic complaints were then received from other motorists describing a similar vehicle
An officer later located a vehicle matching the description stopped on the hard shoulder of Highway 401 near Port Hope.
As a result, Leigh SMITH (44) from the Municipality of Brighton, was arrested and charged with:
· Dangerous operation
· Failure to stop after accident
· Disobeying order of the court
The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg in April.
Officers would like to thank the members of the public who promptly reported their concerns. Your information plays a vital role in keeping our roads safe. The OPP encourages everyone to continue reporting dangerous, erratic, or unsafe driving behaviors.
The Northumberland OPP is committed to building safe communities. If you have information about suspected unlawful activity, please call police at 1-888-310-1122 or if you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at stopcrimehere.ca or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).