OPP still searching for driver of SUV that fled after crashing into lawnmower
CENTRE WELLINGTON – Police are still searching for the driver who fled on foot from the scene of a serious crash here last Friday.
Wellington County OPP officials thought they had a lead the following day, but it did not result in an arrest.
On April 30 at about 10 am emergency crews responded to the 2nd Line south of Elora, where a white SUV collided with a riding lawnmower.
“The operator of the lawnmower [was] transported by Ornge air ambulance to a trauma centre with serious injuries,” police stated in a press release.
“The driver of the SUV fled the scene on foot.”
The injuries to the lawnmower operator are now considered non-life threatening.
The Wellington County OPP Canine Unit and members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) assisted in conducting an extensive search of the area, but the driver was not located.
On May 1 at about 9:30am, Wellington County OPP received reports of a suspicious person in the area of Weisenburg Road near Inverhaugh.
“There was information to suggest that it may have been related to the person who fled from the crash on Friday,” OPP spokesperson Kirk MacDonald told the Advertiser.
He explained the OPP’s Canine Unit, Emergency Response Team and a helicopter assisted in the search, but the subject was not found.
“Due to the seriousness of the crash on Friday, there was a concern that the person who fled may have been injured, hence, the police resources deployed,” said MacDonald.
“While there was a large police presence in the area, there was nothing to suggest a threat to public safety.
“It’s still a very active investigation.”
Anyone with any information can contact the Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip at csgw.tips.
