27-year-old identified as Hensall crash victim
A 27-year-old man has died after a single-vehicle crash near Hensall on Tuesday evening, according to police.
OPP, fire and EMS were called to the scene on Rodgerville Road near Ausable Line just after 7 p.m. where they found a heavily-damaged pickup truck that had collided with a concrete bridge abutment.
Evan Dickins of Hensall, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Marnie Hill has known Evan since he was two years old.
“There’s nobody here that doesn’t know him and I think it’s quite devastating to an entire community,” said Hill. “He always smiled. You always saw a smile on his face.”
She described Evan as a smart young man who was close with his family.
“He loved it here and he loved his friends and he loved his family,” she said. “No, he will never be forgotten.”
“We just saw them playing ball at the baseball diamond last night,” said Ashley Chillingworth, a friend of Evan and his family
“Everybody in town is going to miss him dearly. My condolences to out to the Dickins family.”
OPP couldn’t confirm if speed played a factor but told CTV News the investigation is still ongoing.
“It might be a little early to say for sure speed was a factor, but there is some indication based on the damage to the pickup truck and the damage to the bridge. There was a significant amount of force involved in this collision,” said Const. Jamie Stanley.
Stanley said a post-mortem exam is scheduled for Wednesday to determine if drugs or alcohol played a factor.
Condolences on social media read, "My heart goes to the Dickins family right now. They lost one heck of a brother, son, uncle and friend way to soon.... You always had the biggest smile and even a bigger heart to match it."
Because of damages to the bridge, police say Rodgerville Road has been temporarily closed.
- With files from CTV London's Jennifer Basa.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.