Northern Ont. man charged with careless driving causing death in ORV rollover

One person has been charged with careless driving causing death in connection with an ORV rollover death near Elliot Lake last October.

After months of investigation, Ontario Provincial Police have laid charges in a fatal off-road vehicle collision that took place last year north of Elliot Lake.

Charged is the 62-year-old driver of the ORV or side-by-side vehicle, who was formally charged Tuesday.

The tragedy took place Oct. 15, 2024, around 2:45 a.m. Police and emergency services responded to a single-ORV vehicle collision on a gravel road in a remote location off the Portelance Road.

The victim was 61

“The collision resulted in an ORV rollover, claiming the life of a 61-year-old passenger,” police said in a news release Tuesday.

“After an extensive investigation by the OPP’s traffic incident management enforcement team and technical collision investigator, under the direction of the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, the ORV operator was charged.”

Charges include careless driving causing death, driving with a passenger not wearing a seatbelt and driving with a passenger not wearing a proper helmet.

The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Elliot Lake on May 21.