(COLLINGWOOD, ON) – On April 4, 2025, at approximately 11:50 p.m., the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received information regarding a delivery driver in Collingwood who was observed with a toddler seated on their lap. The vehicle had already left the scene by the time police were contacted.
Officers quickly located the vehicle in question and conducted a traffic stop. Upon investigation, police observed a 4-year-old child in the rear of the vehicle, seated on a car seat but not properly secured with a seatbelt.
Further investigation revealed that the same driver had been stopped by police on March 25, 2025, for the same offence involving the improper restraint of a child passenger. Due to this repeated behaviour and concerns for the child’s safety, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions (Children’s Aid Services) was notified and is aware of the incident.
A 30-year-old male of Wasaga Beach, ON has subsequently been charged with:
- Drive while child passenger not properly secured (Highway Traffic Act)
- Operate motor vehicle without insurance (Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act)
- Fail to Surrender Insurance (Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act)
The male is set to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Barrie, ON on May 16, 2025.
The Collingwood and The Blue Mountains OPP emphasizes that incidents involving the safety of children are taken very seriously. This serves as a reminder to all drivers that ensuring the proper use of car seats and seatbelts is not only the law but critical to protecting vulnerable passengers.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a tip online at www.crimestopperssdm.com.
