Head-on crash leaves 5 injured, drivers in critical condition on Hwy.15, OPP lay charges

Police have laid multiple charges against a passenger among five people that were injured following a head-on collision between two vehicles on Highway 15 south of County Road 42 Friday.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has laid multiple charges against a passenger among five people that were injured following a head-on collision between two vehicles on Highway 15 near the village of Elgin Friday.

Police say they received multiple calls around noon reporting a two-vehicle collision on the highway south of County Road 42.

When police arrived at the scene, they “determined an initial vehicle had two adult occupants, whereas the other vehicle had two adult occupants and one infant.”

Three passengers and two drivers were injured following the crash, police say.

The two drivers sustained serious injuries. They were taken to hospital, where they remain in critical but stable condition, police say.

All three passengers are in stable condition.

“The passenger of the initial vehicle refused to provide their identity following a legal demand. During a vehicle search, members of Leeds OPP located a knife, approximately eight grams of suspected cocaine, and other items often related to drugs,” the OPP said in a news release Saturday.

As a result, the 39-year-old passenger, who’s from Ottawa, has been charged with obstructing a police officer, possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking and assault.

This passenger is scheduled to appear in court on June 13.

“Driving-related charges are pending for the driver of the initial vehicle as a result of the collision,” reads the release.

The investigation into what led to the collision is ongoing.

The highway was closed for several hours in both directions between County Road 42 and County Road 9 following the incident, as OPP Collision Reconstructionists and Technical Traffic Collision Investigators were at the scene.

It opened at around 9 p.m.