Driver suffered medical emergency in fatal Highway 17 crash

Yellow caution tape (Credit: Pexels)

A 68-year-old northern Ont. driver died after suffering a medical emergency behind the wheel and crashing into a business on Highway 17 on Thursday afternoon.

Officers from the Superior East detachment responded to the single-vehicle crash in White River shortly before 4 p.m. April 18, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release.

The vehicle involved was a pickup truck and the male driver was the only person inside, OPP Const. Ashley Nickle told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in an email

"Investigation has determined the driver suffered a medical emergency immediately prior to the collision, which caused the vehicle to leave the roadway," OPP said.

"The Superior East OPP was assisted by the North East and North West Region Traffic Incident Management and Enforcement (T.I.M.E.) teams, and the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service."

No one else was injured in the incident, however, there was damage to cement posts and electrical equipment outside the business, Nickle said.

The Township of White River is located about 300 kilometres north of Sault Ste. Marie and 384 km east of Thunder Bay.