Ontario Provincial Police in Norfolk County say that a Bayham woman died in a head-on collision on June 21. The traffic accident happened around 7:30 p.m. on Highway 19 near Tillsonburg.
According to the police, a Toyota pickup ran head-on into the Pontiac minivan that the 54-year-old woman was driving, and she died on the scene. Her passenger, an 18-year-old female teenager, suffered serious injuries but nothing that could be fatal. The teen is receiving treatment at a hospital in London. Authorities did not disclose the relationship between the woman and teen.
The pickup driver, a 26-year-old Tillsonburg man, was also injured in the crash and hospitalised, but his injuries were minor. Police arrested him following the accident and charged him with driving over the legal limit, impaired driving resulting in bodily harm and impaired driving resulting in death. He is scheduled for a provincial court appearance.
Traffic accidents have many causes, and impaired driving is one of the most common ones with a high risk of serious and fatal injuries. Under the Family Law Act, people in Ontario may be able to recover damages for their injuries or the death of a loved one in an impaired driving crash.
When it comes to a family member’s death, the next of kin could receive compensation that pays for the funeral, burial and related travel costs. It might also reimburse the survivors for the loss of household income and services and for any counselling that they need to recover emotionally from their loss. The family could also be compensated for bereavement and the loss of companionship and guidance.