Rockwood man charged with careless driving after hitting senior in wheelchair

GUELPH – A Rockwood man has been charged following a collision earlier this month that saw an elderly woman airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

On March 13 at about 5:20pm, a 70-year-old Guelph woman was crossing Woodlawn Road East at Victoria Road North in her motorized wheelchair.

“She was struck within the crosswalk by a minivan … turning left onto Woodlawn Road East,” Guelph Police stated in a press release. “The female was trapped under the front of the vehicle until several passersby helped to free her.” The woman was airlifted by Ornge air ambulance to a Hamilton trauma centre, where she has undergone several surgeries.

A 27-year-old Rockwood man was charged under the Highway Traffic Act with careless driving causing bodily harm and operating an unsafe motor vehicle.

“An inspection of the male’s motor vehicle following the collision revealed several mechanical defects which could have contributed to the collision,” police stated.

The man will appear in Guelph court on July 7.

Guelph Police thanked “the citizens who assisted at the scene and came forward later with witness statements.”