Shortly after 10:00 a.m. Constable Marlene Martin, Anishinabek Police Services, attended the scene of an accident on the Highway 17 bypass around Garden River. Constable Martin was on scene to support investigating OPP officer, Constable Bruni. Also on site were Sault Ste. Marie Emergency Services and the Garden River Fire Department.
The motorcyclist, who collided with a deer, was carefully and quickly loaded into the ambulance and whisked to the Sault Area Hospital.
The Ministry of Transportation reported that over a period of 10 years there was a 43 percent increase in motorist collisions with animals in Ontario. In 1999 motor vehicle/wild animal collisions totaled 8,964 and in 2008, 12,291 vehicles collided with wild animals –mainly moose and deer.
The most recent annual Ontario Road Safety report indicates that in 2013 a total of 14,068 highway encounters with domestic or wild animals were reported. That year there were 8 fatalities involving animals on the highway- 2 encounters involving domestic animals, 6 involving wild animals. There were 500 reported personal injuries- 52 involving domestic animals, 448 involving wild animals. A total of 13,555 reports of property damage -716 involving domestic animals and 12,839 involving wild animals.
For tips on avoiding collisions with animal life click here.
Related Highway 17 Clogged with Rogue Cattle
( right) Constable Martin, Anishinabek Police Services, surveying the back-up of traffic on Highway 17. (left) Member of Garden River Fire Services.
Many thanks to Anishinabek Police Services for the fascinating opportunity to ride-a-long. Thank you for your service!
3 Comments
Well I hope they put the poor thing out of it’s misery.
they did. Once the patient and traffic was managed the OPP took care of it. It is very sad though. And hopefully the man who collided with it is doing well!
Hope he’s doing well, too bad for the deer. I’ve had to put a number of them down after they were hit by vehicles. Too bad people don’t invest in deer whistles they are cheap and available at most hardware stores.