Driver facing fine, demerit points after crashing into tow truck on Hwy. 417

OPP say a driver went past two cruisers on the shoulder of Highway 417 in Ottawa before colliding with a tow truck. Jan. 2, 2026. (OPP/Facebook)

Ontario Provincial Police say a driver is facing consequences after crashing into the back of a tow truck at a collision scene on Highway 417 in Ottawa last week.

Police officers were at the scene of a crash on the highway near Bayshore at around 11:30 a.m. Jan. 2, when a driver drove past two cruisers and smashed into the tow truck.

“The vehicle drove past two cruisers, on the shoulder, and struck the tow truck. Thankfully, nobody was hurt,” Ottawa OPP Const. Michael Fathi said in a post on social media.

Video shared by the OPP shows a white minivan speeding past a cruiser and hitting the parked tow truck with a car loaded on the bed.

“If you see an emergency vehicle or tow truck with their lights on, slow down and move over,” Fathi wrote.

In Ontario, you can be charged if you don’t slow down or move over for emergency vehicles or tow trucks that are stopped with sirens or lights flashing.

Fathi said the driver now faces a $490 fine and three demerit points. The driver could also face a possible licence suspension of up to two years if convicted.

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