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School buses are on the road again
Various
During the week of August 18 to August 24, Hawkesbury OPP o!cers responded to 200 occurrences. Two break and enter incidents were reported. Four assaults and $ve incidents of theft were reported. There were two impaired-driving related incidents. Out of these 200 occurrences, 20 were concluded with accusations.
During the week of the survey, 151 inci- dents were logged each day for $ve days. Three-quarters of the incidents occurred when a vehicle was approaching the school bus from the opposing lane. The survey results have raised concerns among the OPP and other police forces that too many motorists may be ignorant of tra!c safety where school buses are con- cerned, driving while distracted at the time, or do not care. “As drivers, we know that at certain times of the day we can expect to encounter school buses during our travels,” stated Inspector Ian Chappell, OPP West Region tra!c unit. “Drivers need to be vigilant and pay attention to the #ashing red lights and other safety equipment used on buses.” The Ontario Highway Tra!c Act demands motorists stop when meeting with a school bus parked alongside the roadwith itswarn- ing lights #ashing and driver-side stop sign extended while either picking up or drop- ping o" students. All tra!c must remain at a halt until the lights stop #ashing, the stop sign folds back, and the bus resumes travel. Passing a parked school bus during such a situation results in a citation and an auto- matic minimum $ne of $400. Sti"er penal- ties may be possible. Motorists must also obey speed limits when passing through a school zone during regular school hours. Many children walk to
Impaired driving
GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
During the afternoon of Monday August 18, at approximately 4 pm, residents called to report that a woman had damaged her vehicle while driving. Hawkesbury OPP of- $cers attended the parking lot where the suspect vehicle was parked. Considerable damage was found on the vehicle. The investigation revealed that the vehicle crashed into a utility pole in front of the St-Jean-Baptiste school in L’Orignal. The driver was consequently arrested and Carole Doyon, 64, a Champlain township resident, was charged with driving with more than 80 mgs of alcohol in her blood. During the evening of Friday, August 22, shortly before 10 pm, Hawkesbury OPP of- $cers responded to a complaint about a possible impaired driver going through the drive-through lane of the McDonald’s Restaurant in Hawkesbury in a yellow Toyota 4Runner. The driver was intercepted as the vehicle was parked in the parking lot.The driver was asked to provide a breath sample which he refused. The driver was conse- quently arrested. Matthew McIntyre, 22, of Rigaud, was charged for failing and refus- ing to provide a sample. Police were called to the scene of a mischief at the St-Grégoire school in Vankleek Hill on July 24. Someone broke a window on the northwest side of the school be- tween 2:30 pm July 23 and 8 am on July 24. Damages are estimated at approximately $500. Constable Simon Boudreau of the Hawkesbury OPP is investigating. Anyone who has information about this matter or any other criminal mattercan call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or the Hawkesbury O.P.P. at 613-632-2729. School vandalized
Students head back to school this week and next. Which means school buses are back on the road and the school zone speed limits are back in force. OPP throughout Eastern Ontario and po- lice forces in Ottawa and other communi- ties remind drivers that the tra!c laws deal- ing with buses picking up and dropping o" students and also those governing school zones take e"ect again now that French schools in Ontario are open for class this week and the English schools reopen after the Labour Day weekend. “The OPP asks you to be attentive as the youth of communities return to school in the coming weeks,” stated Chief Superin- tendent Daniel Redmond, OPP East Region commander. “Safety is the number one pri- ority.” The Independent School Bus Operators Association (ISBOA) did a province-wide survey this past May through their mem- ber school bus companies on tra!c safety for students. The week-long survey asked school bus drivers to report on the number of incidents when a motorist failed to stop and wait when a school bus was stopped with its warning lights #ashing.
approaching school crosswalks and stop if students are using them or if a crossing guard is standing in the crosswalk area to help guide students to safety.
school and they will be crossing streets in a school zone to get to class. Some school crossings have crossing guards while oth- ers do not. Drivers must take care when
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