FERGUS – On May 9 at about 2:30am, Wellington County OPP officers observed a person causing a disturbance and damaging an election sign on Tower Street South here.
“During the course of the arrest, one officer was assaulted,” police stated in a press release.
Steven Andrew St. Amour, 35, of Fergus, was charged with removal/damage of posted election documents, causing a disturbance, assault with intent to resist arrest, theft under $5,000, and two counts of mischief (destroy or damage property).
He is to appear in Guelph court at a later date.
ORV carelessness
ELORA – On May 7 at about 7pm, an officer with the Wellington County OPP observed an off-road vehicle (ORV) being operated in a careless manner on Hill Street here.
Police say the officer stopped the ORV, and as a result of the investigation, a 21-year-old from Fergus has been charged with careless driving under the ORV Act (police did not identify the driver).
Driver distracted?
FERGUS – On May 7 at about 8pm, an officer with the Wellington County OPP stopped a red sports car after the driver was observed holding a communication device while driving on Bridge Street here.
A 22-year-old from Welland was charged with driving with a handheld communication device, driving without insurance, using unauthorized plates and failing to apply for a permit (police did not identify the driver).
The defendant is to appear in Guelph court at a later date.
Speeding, driving charges
CENTRE WELLINGTON – On May 7 at about 7:30am, a Wellington County OPP officer stopped a commercial motor vehicle for speeding on Wellington Road 21, west of Elora.
Police say a 55-year-old from Arthur was charged with failing to carry daily logs or operator’s records for the previous 14 days, failing to carry a complete daily inspection report, speeding, and failing to properly wear seat belt.
Preventable road deaths on track for 10-year high
BARRIE – OPP officials say poor and careless driving behaviours have contributed to the majority of the 107 fatalities on OPP-patrolled roads so far this year.
“It’s a motor vehicle fatality rate the OPP has not seen in 10 years,” police say.
Not since 2012 has the number of people killed in road collisions reached the 100 mark by the second week of May.
Police noted two driving behaviours stand out in this year’s preventable road deaths:
– driver inattention (up 79 per cent over this time last year, from 14 to 25); and
– alcohol/drugs (fatalities up 36% to 15 over 11 deaths at this time in 2021.
Twenty-seven (27) speed-related fatalities are not far off last year’s mark and speed remains the deadliest of the poor driving behaviours.
