TORONTO – A 43-year-old man has been charged after an officer was injured in a two-vehicle crash that occurred while emergency crews were attending to numerous collisions near Richmond Hill on Sunday morning.
According to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, officers were called to the area of Highway 404 and Bloomington Road around 9 a.m. after receiving multiple reports of collisions “on icy roads.”
“One of the bridges had iced over and there had been several collisions in the area,” Schmidt said on Twitter. “As one of the officers was out attending to one of those vehicles that had crashed, another vehicle slammed into the back of the police vehicle.”
An OPP officer was sitting inside the car at the time of the crash.
The officer and the driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision were transported to the hospital for treatment. Both people have since been released.
“The officer will be recovering at home now for some time before returning to work,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said the police cruiser had its lights flashing at the time of the crash and urged drivers to slow down.
“When we have emergency responders, emergency vehicles and tow trucks on scene already, drivers need to be that much more alert and aware of possible dangerous conditions.”
A Newmarket man is facing numerous charges in connection with the incident, including failing to slow down and move over, careless driving and several drug possession offences.
“This could have easily turned into a tragedy,” Schmidt said. “Please watch for stopped emergency and first responders vehicles with their lights flashing.”
Police have not said if any charges will be laid in connection with the incident.
