(PERTH COUNTY, ON) – The Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wishes to remind drivers that with imminent snowfall expected within the next 24 hours, motorists need to be aware of winter maintenance vehicles and their crews on our roadways.
On Friday February 26, 2016, two motorists discovered the hard way that when flashing blue lights are around you need to slow down and remain at a safe distance. Shortly after 6 a.m. a tractor trailer travelling south bound on Hwy 7 between Stratford and St.Marys met a north bound snowplough engaged in snow removal activity. The tractor trailer driver lost control of his vehicle and sideswiped the snowplough. The impact caused the tractor trailer to leave the roadway and enter a field to the east of the highway. The snowplough was able to stop safely on the east shoulder.
The 58-year-old tractor trailer driver, a male from Kitchener was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The highway was closed for a few hours to allow for cleanup of the vehicles and debris. The snowplough operator did not sustain injuries as a result of this collision. The tractor trailer driver was charged with “fail to share half roadway-meeting vehicle”.
Shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday February 26, 2016, Perth County OPP officers responded to a collision on Line 87 north of Listowel, involving a GMC Sierra pickup truck and a snowplough.
Investigation revealed that both vehicles were travelling on Line 87. The snowplough was travelling west bound while the GMC Sierra was travelling eastbound. The driver of the GMC lost control of the vehicle and slid into the front of the blade of the plough. The impact forced the GMC into the north ditch. The GMC sustained extensive damage to the passenger side of the vehicle. Neither driver was injured as a result of the impact.
These collisions should remind us to drive carefully around snowploughs and to leave room for them. Remain at a safe distance back from them and never pass a snowplough. Snowploughs are wider at the front than they appear to be from the rear, and the large blades on the snowplough extend a metre or more ahead and to the right of the snowplough.
When you see the blue flashing lights of a snowplough, remain a safe distance back & when encountering a plough coming from the opposite direction, move as far away from the centreline of the pavement as you safely can.
“When you see snow, GO SLOW”.
