OPP concerned with snowmobile deaths, crashes in northeast
In the wake of two serious snowmobiling injuries on North Bay-area trails since the start of March, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are pleading with snowmobilers to slow down and follow the rules.
Police are asking snowmobilers to use common sense when out on the trail system asking snowmobiles to slow their machines down.
"Most people follow the rules and do a good job being safe but there is a minority out there who we hope will change their thought process,” said Sgt. Carlo Berardi.
From March 3 - 6, OPP in North Bay responded to two serious snowmobile crashes where the drivers were hurt. Four snowmobilers have been killed this winter in the northeast, most recently a 40-year-old on Feb. 25 on a trail north of North Bay. 10 snowmobilers have died across all of Ontario this winter.
"We have two causal factors that keep coming up and that is speed and alcohol,” said Berardi.
“People have to watch how fast they're going and of course, do not drive impaired."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Police told CTV News that throughout the March Break, they will be monitoring trails and that there will be zero tolerance for law-breakers.
Police said the warmer weather coming up, it could make for dicey conditions.
"We are concerned with people going through the ice,” said Beradi.
“We've talked about this before. Stay off the water and stick to the trails to be safe.”
Last winter, OPP recorded five snowmobile-related deaths in northeastern Ontario.
Two snow machine riders on a snowy trail. (File photo/Supplied/Ontario Provincial Police)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.