Tuesday, April 7, 2009

FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISION HIGHWAY 17 WEST

On Tuesday April 7, 2009 at 6:00 AM officers from the Sudbury OPP Detachment responded to a fatal motor vehicle collision on Highway 17 approximately 1.5 kms West of Fairbanks Road.

Preliminary investigations revealed the victim was driving west bound on hwy 17 in a small car. At the same time a tractor trailer was also travelling west bound on hwy 17, following the car. The driver of the car slowed and pulled to side of hwy 17 at Fairbanks Road. The driver then accelerated back onto the hwy before the tractor trailer caught up to him and continued West Bound on the hwy for approximately 1.5 kms. The driver of the car then slowed down and pulled onto the shoulder of the road. The tractor trailer, seeing the car pulling onto the shoulder, went into the East bound lane because there was no East Bound traffic to go around the car.

The car then started to make a u-turn in front of the tractor trailer when both vehicles collided in the East Bound Lane.

At the time of the collision the roads were bare and wet, visibility was listed as good.
The investigation is continuing with the assistance of the OPP Technical Traffic Collision investigators.
Further details will not be released until family has been notified.


Hwy 17 now Open just west of Whitefish

Location: Hwy 17 just west of Whitefish

Detachment area: Sudbury OPP

Time of road closure: 6:30am

Reason for the closure: Serious Motor Vehicle Collision involving a Tractor Trailer and a car

Detour: St. Pothier Road, for vehicles except Transport Trucks.

Estimated duration of closure: Unknown

Time road reopened: 11:15am