(WEST PERTH, ON) – A young driver has been charged following a dangerous incident last week in the Municipality of West Perth.
On November 09 2020, just after 3:30 p.m., Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of a vehicle that had just driven around a school but that had its red lights flashing and the stop arm extended. The incident occurred on Perth Road 164 (Highway 23), just south of Mitchell. The driver of the bus observed the car approaching the bus, and ensured the kids did not exit in order to keep them safe, but was unable to get the full licence plate of the offending vehicle.
Luckily, a witness in another vehicle, however, was quick to get the plate and contacted police. As a result of the actions of the public, police were able to locate the vehicle, and identify the driver.
A 17-year-old driver from West Perth has since been charged with:
Fail to Stop for School Bus – meeting
The accused was issued a Provincial Offences Notice.
Failing to stop for a stopped school bus that has its flashing red lights engaged is a serious offence. For a first-time offence, you can be fined from $400 to $2,000 and have six demerit points added to your license.
In Ontario, school bus drivers and other witnesses can report vehicles that have illegally passed a school bus. If you are the vehicle’s registered owner, these same fines may be applied to you.
Anyone with information regarding this or any incident is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or online at www.opp.ca/reporting. Should you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave an anonymous online message at http://hc-cs.ca where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.