On Tuesday, a fatal accident involving a passenger vehicle and a tractor trailer took place on Highway 17 in Whitewater Region Township, situated northwest of Ottawa, resulting in the death of the passenger vehicle’s driver.
According to the Ontario Provincial Police, the Upper Ottawa Valley unit is conducting an investigation into the incident, which occurred between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. The preliminary findings indicate that the westbound passenger vehicle crossed the dividing line and collided with the eastbound tractor trailer on Highway 17, in the area between Mountain Road and Sutherland Road.
The police reported in a media release that the passenger vehicle subsequently caught fire. The 22-year-old driver from North Algona-Wilberforce Township was found deceased at the scene. The driver of the tractor trailer did not suffer any injuries, as stated by the police.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are continuing their investigation in partnership with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Due to the collision, Highway 17 was closed to traffic between Highway 41 and County Road 8 in Cobden for approximately 12 hours, reopening in the mid-afternoon.