Three fatal weekend crashes on local roads – and a near-miss on water

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It’s been a deadly weekend on London-area roads – and there was also a nearly fatal incident on one local waterway.

Three people have died in a trio of separate collisions on roads across the region since Friday, Ontario Provincial Police say. Here are the details of each case:

TWO FATAL MOTORCYCLE CRASHES

One man is dead and another in custody after a fatal motorcycle crash northeast of London in Thames Centre, Middlesex OPP say.

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Police, firefighters and paramedics responded to the crash between a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle at Prospect Hill Road and Plover Mills Road at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, police say. The intersection is located in a rural swath of Thames Centre and the closest community is Thorndale, to the southeast of the collision site.

The 30-year-old driver of the motorcycle from London was pronounced dead at a local hospital, police said.

The driver who was the lone occupant of the passenger vehicle, a 49-year-old from London, suffered no injuries and has been taken into custody, police say, adding the identity of the motorcyclist is not being released.

Just a few hours earlier, a 74-year-old on a motorcycle was killed in a collision that happened shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday on Bluewater Highway, north of Goderich along the Lake Huron coastline, police said.

The driver of the motorcycle, a resident of Goderich, was pronounced dead in hospital, police said. The investigation into the cause was ongoing as of Sunday, police said, adding anyone with information was asked to call Huron County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

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These are at least the third and fourth fatal crashes involving a motorcycle in Southwestern Ontario over the last month, with one of those collisions claiming two lives.

MAN, 23, KILLED IN CRASH

One person is dead following a crash in rural Elgin County, Ontario Provincial Police say.

Police and emergency crews responded to a serious crash involving a single passenger vehicle that collided with a tree shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday, Elgin OPP said.

The lone occupant, a 23-year-old from St. Thomas, was pulled from the vehicle and rushed to hospital before being pronounced dead, police said.

The collision took place on Roberts Line near Centennial Road, police said. That’s a T-intersection in a rural area northeast of Port Stanley.

Police said they are not releasing the identity of the deceased “out of respect for the family’s privacy.” Anyone with information contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

TWO HURT IN WATER CRAFT EXPLOSION

Two people were in hospital following the explosion of a personal water craft that burst into flames shortly after leaving the dock, Ontario Provincial Police in Elgin County say.

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It was unclear whether it was a boat or jet ski.

OPP, firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance responded to a Catfish Creek channel near Levi Street shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday, police said. The location of the incident is near the Lake Erie community of Port Bruce, a roughly 45-minute drive southeast of London.

The operator of the vessel, a 48-year-old from Cambridge, was flown to hospital by an air ambulance, police said. The passenger, a 32-year-old from Kingsville-area community of Ruthven, was taken to a local hospital, police said.

Both suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Malahide Township volunteer firefighters extinguished the fire, police said.

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