Double fatal motor vehicle collision

OPP Media Release

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Thessalon - At around 6:30 p.m. on 05 April 2007, three vehicles were involved in a collision approximately three kilometres west of the junction of Hwy 17 and Hwy 129 near Thessalon.

From the preliminary investigation it appears that two of the vehicles were traveling westbound on Hwy 17. One vehicle was attempting to pass the other on a passing lane. One or both of the vehicles began to swerve and the vehicle that was attempting the pass lost control and was struck by an eastbound pickup truck and then slid into the ditch.

The two persons in the pick up truck were taken to the Thessalon Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released. The 2 occupants of the other vehicle that was struck by the pickup truck were fatally injured in the collision. The occupants in the third vehicle narrowly escaped being involved in the collision, and were uninjured.

The deceased have been identified as:

Jeffrey Beach, age 19, of Sault Ste. Marie, and

Christopher Catling, age 24, of Echo Bay, Ontario.

Fire Departments from Bruce Mines and Huron Shores responded to the collision scene and assisted with extrication of the vehicle occupants.

At the time of the collision, the highways were snow-covered and slushy, and visibility was limited.

The investigation of this collision is ongoing, and is being conducted by members of the East Algoma OPP Detachment, assisted by the Technical Traffic Investigation Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police.

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