Officers from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Caledon Detachment investigated a motorist who fled from police on Mount Wolfe Road in Caledon.   

On Sunday, Sept. 23 at approximately 11:47 a.m., an officer was observing for stop sign violations at the intersection of Mount Wolfe Road and Old Church Road in Caledon. At this time the officer observed a motor vehicle travelling northbound fail to stop for the stop sign. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, it accelerated away at a high rate of speed, driving in a dangerous manner.

The motor vehicle soon left the roadway and ended up in the ditch at which time the driver fled on foot into a nearby field.

A passenger remained with the vehicle. The vehicle was found to have been reported as stolen with York Regional Police.

With the assistance of OPP Canine, Emergency Response Team members and the OPP Helicopter, the driver of the vehicle was located hiding in the surrounding area.

The vehicle passenger, from New Tecumseth, has been charged with:

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000

He is scheduled to appear in Orangeville Provincial Court on October 25, 2018.

The vehicle driver, from Brampton, has been charged with:

• Flight From Police

• Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000

• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5000

• Drive while Under Suspension

• Fail to Remain at the Scene of a Collision

• Use Plate not Authorized for Vehicle

• Disobey Stop Sign

He was held for a bail hearing.

Seat belts save lives

From September 26, 2018 to October 5, members from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have been conducting a province wide initiative focusing on seat belt compliance. This year, the OPP has investigated 34 road fatalities in which the victims were reportedly not wearing a seat belt. There were 30 such deaths at this time last year (2017), with lack of occupant restraint being linked to 49 deaths by the end of the year.

During this initiative, members from the Caledon OPP have been highly visible as they conduct enforcement efforts aimed at getting people to buckle up and stay safe.    

Drivers and passengers are being reminded that air bags do not replace seat belts and are designed to work with seat belts, not instead of them. When a frontal collision launches vehicle occupants toward the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield - even at low speeds, without a seat belt the outcome can be catastrophic even if the air bag deploys.   

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act requires that all occupants of a motor vehicle wear a seatbelt or use an approved occupant restraint system, such as a car seat.

All drivers are responsible for ensuring that passengers under 16 are secured properly.

Is your child properly secured? The Ministry of Transportation teaches us the following:

Child car seats for infants

Newborn babies and infants need special protection while in a vehicle. In a collision, a properly installed rear-facing child car seat can save your baby's life.

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act requires children to use a rear-facing car seat until the child weighs at least 9 kg (20 lb.).

It's best to keep your child in a rear-facing child car seat until they reach the manufacturer's recommended maximum weight and height limits. Some rear-facing car seats are made for children that weigh up to 20 kg (45 lb.)

When a child outgrows the maximum weight or height limits of an infant rear-facing car seat, they may move to a larger convertible infant/child car seat and stay rear-facing until the child is ready to face forward.

Child car seats for toddlers

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act allows children weighing 9 kg to 18 kg (20 to 40 lb.) to use a forward-facing child car seat or a rear-facing car seat as long as the car seat manufacturer recommends its use. It's best to keep your child in a forward-facing child car seat until they reach the manufacturer's recommended maximum weight and height limits.

A forward-facing car seat uses a tether strap to prevent the child car seat from moving forward and causing injury in a collision. It is important to use the tether strap exactly as the manufacturer recommends.

Booster seats

Booster seats raise children so adult seat belts protect them better. Booster seats protect children from serious injury 3-½ times better than seat belts alone.

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act requires children weighing 18 kg to 36 kg (40 to 80 lb.), standing less than 145 cm (4 ft. 9 in.) tall and who are under the age of 8 to use a booster seat or allows the continued use of a forward-facing seat as long as the car seat manufacturer recommends its use. It's best to keep your child in a booster seat until they reach the manufacturer's recommended maximum weight and height limits.

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act allows a child to use a seatbelt alone only when any one of the following occurs:

• Child turns 8 years old, or

• Child weighs 36 kg (80 lb.), or

• Child is 145 cm (4 ft. 9 in.) tall or more