33-year-old man killed in fatal Highway 17 crash
A 33-year-old man from Wawa has been identified as the victim killed in the fatal crash on Highway 17 last week.
Christian "Chris" "Dude" Casavant was on his way in for his last night shift Nov. 29 when he was killed, his widow told CTV News in a message through social media. His obituary said he was in fire service and mine rescue and his social media profile said he was a volunteer firefighter for the Wawa Fire Department.
Chris Casavant was involved in mine rescue and fire services. (Supplied)
The northbound pickup truck he was riding in collided with a southbound commercial motor vehicle near the intersection of Highway 17 and Highway 519, about 40 kilometres north of Wawa, around 5:47 p.m. last Tuesday, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release Monday morning.
The victim, a passenger riding in the pickup truck, was pronounced deceased at the scene and the driver of the pickup truck was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the commercial vehicle was not injured in the crash, police said.
Casavant leaves behind a wife, Jes Aasmae, and son, Barrett.
"He was the sweetest, kindest, strongest soul I will ever know … he’d drop anything and help anyone out," Aasmae said.
"The funniest man alive. Such a sharp whit and the best jokes you could ever imagine … there’s so much to say, but I'm completely shattered by him being ripped from us."
Christian 'Chris' Casavant was a volunteer firefighter with Wawa Fire Department. (Supplied)
"Members of the northeast region traffic incident management and enforcement team are assisting with the ongoing investigation," police said.
"The Superior East OPP is seeking assistance from anyone who may have witnessed the collision. If you were in the area of Highway 17 and Highway 519 between 5:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on Nov. 29, please call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave a tip online at www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca."
A celebration of life will be held at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, Wawa on Dec. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.