A man charged in the death of a cyclist on Victoria Road early last month is the same person accused of impaired driving in a separate incident three weeks later, police confirm. Both incidents happened last month.
“They’re obviously two separate occurrences,” said Guelph police spokesperson Scott Tracey, adding, “I don’t believe there was any indication of impairment (during the fatal crash).”
The accused person’s name has not been released at this time.
On Sept. 5, cyclist Susan Bard was riding along Victoria Road North when her bicycle was struck by a Ford sedan that left the scene. She was taken to a trauma centre in Hamilton and succumbed to her injuries the next day.
Police located a suspect vehicle about 2.5 hours after the crash and arrested a 35-year-old Guelph man failing to remain at the scene of a collision causing bodily harm. That charge was subsequently upgraded to failing to remain at the scene of a collision causing death.
Then, on Sept. 28, police were called to a rollover collision on Bagot Street. A witness reported a car hit a parked vehicle and flipped onto its roof, and the driver got out and walked away.
While officers were on scene they were approached by a female who claimed to have been driving, however several witnesses had described a male suspect.
Officers located the suspected “true driver” at a residence nearby, however the female continued to obstruct the investigation by providing false information, a news release states.
The male was believed to be impaired by drugs and after performing poorly on sobriety tests was transported to the police station, where a drug recognition expert concluded his ability to operate a vehicle was impaired.
Investigation also determined he is on an undertaking with a condition not to occupy the driver’s seat of any vehicle.
In the second matter, a 35-year-old Guelph man is charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop at a collision and breaching an undertaking. A 29-year-old Guelph woman is also charged with obstructing police in relation to that incident.
