TORONTO - Ontario's ombudsman says the potential for catastrophic accidents involving drivers with medical conditions could have been reduced if the government had been more proactive in monitoring at-risk drivers.
Andre Marin's latest report looked at a fatal 2009 car crash caused by a diabetic Hamilton man who was experiencing severe uncontrolled hypoglycemia.
He says Allan Maki ate a snack before the accident because his blood sugar level was low, but didn't wait to confirm that his condition was stable before getting behind the wheel.
Marin says the 40-year-old high school teacher was later convicted of dangerous driving causing death, but the Ministry of Transportation failed to suspend his licence immediately after the crash.
The ombudsman says he found inconsistencies, errors and bureaucratic failures in an "outdated" system for reporting and monitoring drivers with potentially unsafe medical conditions.
But he says the ministry has agreed to implement all of his 19 recommendations to improve the system.
