The county OPP has learned a great deal about the vehicle that struck and killed 18-year-old Lucas Frederick Shortreed of Fergus last week.
And officers are continuing to ramp up their search for the driver who struck Shortreed and then left the scene. On Wednesday morning they staged a re-enactment of the accident at the scene.
Shortreed was found lying lifeless on County Road 17 just east of Alma at around 12:08am on Oct. 10.
OPP Constable Keith Robb said members of the Wellington County Criminal Investigation Unit are conducting a parallel investigation with Technical Collision Investiga-tors and the county’s Traffic Unit.
Detachment Commander Steve Walsh said the OPP is going all out on this case.
“We are committed to finding the person responsible for this fatal collision and I have some of my best people working this case,” Walsh said.
“I’m confident that someone somewhere has information that would help us find this suspect, and I encourage them to do the right thing and come forward immediately.”
Robb said in an interview on Monday that police already have several tips from citizens about the events that night. Shortreed was attending a party in Alma and left alone to hitchhike home. Robb added that none of those at the party were among the people contributing information about the incident to police.
He said police investigators have already determined the suspect vehicle is possibly an older model Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth product that is white or light grey in colour.
He added that the vehicle will have damage to the passenger front corner and side, likely including a smashed window.
Robb said police recovered paint and pieces of a marker light off the grill of the vehicle.
Robb added that the glass left at the scene was not from a windshield, but was consistent with glass used in a side window.
“It’s not windshield glass; when it breaks, it shatters,” Robb said.
Police have alerted auto body repair shops to be on the lookout for any vehicle that matches the description.
Robb said that he is not sure just how far the description of the vehicle would be broadcast, but said it would likely be received by repair shops as far away as the Greater Toronto Area.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact the County of Wellington OPP Traffic Management Unit at 519-856-1506 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
