NIPIGON — Four people died in one day last week in three fatal highway incidents between Nipigon and Wawa.
Two of the collisions on Nov. 29 happened in the Nipigon area, with one on Highway 11 and the other on Highway 17, while the third was on Highway 17 between White River and Wawa.
OPP Const. Matthew Foster said winter weather can be unpredictable.
“The conditions can change in a flash and we are thinking about the families that are impacted," Foster said this week. "We are keeping them in our thoughts and our prayers.”
Officers were notified of the first incident east of Nipigon on Highway 17, which involved a passenger vehicle and a commercial motor vehicle. One of the occupants of the passenger vehicle, 61-year-old, Deborah Mills, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another occupant of the vehicle, 48-year-old Paul Ayers, was taken to hospital with critical injuries but later died.
The other incident in that area happened on Highway 11 north of Nipigon and involved two commercial vehicles. One person was taken to hospital with critical injuries and later died.
Nipigon Mayor Suzanne Kukko and residents are apprehensive about driving on the highway after the incidents.
“There are a lot of trickle-down effects. There’s the fear that you get when you are going out on the highway during a winter storm or when it’s just approaching and you don’t know what the conditions are going to be, if you are going to be trapped in your car,” Kukko said.
The collisions resulted in lengthy highway closures, which cut off drivers on the west side of the Nipigon River Bridge from the town.
Kukko said municipal leaders need to ensure accountability in clearing the highways of snow and ice.
“I know that the government announced that they have approved stipulations for the contractors to clear the snow four hours earlier after a storm and to have more stopping areas when there are closures, but it’s the municipalities' job to ensure that that’s happening,” Kukko said.
Kukko also said she is committed to working with the Northern Ontario Municipal Association to lobby the province to make sure the winter highway maintenance standards are being met.
“It’s something I don’t think we should sit back and hope that it happens. We have to keep on top of it and make sure it is getting done because the consequences are very serious,” Kukko said.
The third incident about 40 kilometres north of Wawa near the intersection of Highway 17 and Highway 519, involving a pickup truck. A passenger in the pickup, 33-year-old Christian Casavant of Wawa, was killed.
Foster wants people to not take chances while out on the highway.
His tips for highway driving are to make sure fluids are topped up and that the vehicle’s windshield wipers are properly installed. Vehicles should be cleared of snow to ensure visibility while driving, and winter tires should be properly installed and regularly re-torqued.