Wednesday, February 18, 2004

“GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE”
Searchmont, Ont.,

This past weekend’s snow machine patrols is just another example of our area police services and the community working together in the interests of public safety.

On Monday morning we reported a snow machine collision that occurred on the OFSC trail between Goulais River and Searchmont. One of the emergency response teams that weren’t mentioned at the time was this area’s S.T.O.P. (Snowmobile Trail Officer Patrol)

The S.T.O.P. unit was out on the trails all weekend. The snow machine patrol officers accompanied them from the Sault Ste Marie City Police. Not only did they investigate the collision that occurred during the Easter Seal Snowarama but they were also called to a second snow machine injury collision.

At about 12:00 noon on Saturday 14 Feb 2004 a Goulais River resident was westbound on a trail near the Devil’s Lake area north of Searchmont. She was going down a hill and at the bottom of the hill was a curve on the trail. She failed to negotiate the curve, ran off the trail and struck a tree. The driver, 44-year-old Suzanne St Jules of Goulais River, was injured in the collision but did not have to attend the hospital for treatment

The S.T.O.P. program consists of area volunteers that use there own snow machines to accompany police officers on patrols of the OFSC trail system. This past weekend proved just how the valuable the combination of police and community volunteers worked together for a safer community.