‘Your decisions behind the wheel matter’: Driver charged, passenger critically hurt in Tillsonburg-area crash

One person was critically injured and airlifted to hospital after a single-vehicle crash on the border of Oxford and Norfolk counties.

OPP responded shortly after 1 a.m. to Norfolk County Road 19, approximately four kilometres south of Tillsonburg, Ont.

At the scene, police found a vehicle had left the roadway and entered a cornfield.

The passenger sustained life-threatening injuries in the collision, according to Norfolk County OPP Const. Andrew Gamble.

The 23-year-old driver, a resident of Oxford County, received minor injuries.

“The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody and is facing several charges in relation to impaired driving,” he said.

These charges consist of operation while impaired - blood concentration (80 plus), operation causing bodily harm and dangerous operation causing bodily harm.

Gamble relayed a general message about the dangers of getting behind the wheel while impaired.

“We know, year after year, impaired driving is a leading cause in collisions that result in serious injuries or death. And something like this is preventable, and that is a message we’d like to send out to all motorists,” he said. “Your decisions behind the wheel matter.”

Highway 19 was closed between County Road 30 and Carson Line to allow a collision reconstruction team to complete its investigation, but it was reopened shortly after 12 p.m.

The driver is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 4.