Teen cyclist charged for riding on Highway 401

An OPP cruiser is pictured in this undated photo. (Source: OPP Central Region)

A youth cyclist from Southwest Middlesex in facing multiple charges after riding a bicycle on Highway 401.

On Sunday at 11:37 a.m., members of the Middlesex County OPP were dispatched to the Eastbound lanes of Highway 401 at Wonderland Road in London after receiving multiple reports of a cyclist on the highway.

Police closed the highway briefly in order to get the individual off the road safely.

As a result, a 16-year-old of Southwest Middlesex, has been charged under the Highway Traffic Act with:

• Pedestrian using controlled-access highway
• Bicycle on controlled-access highway

The accused has been released from police custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Provincial Traffic Court to speak to the charges at a later date.

The OPP remind members of the public that it is illegal for pedestrians and cyclists to be on 400-series highways, as well as on- and off-ramps due to the risks to safety for pedestrians and the motoring public.

The OPP can be reached anywhere in the Province of Ontario at 1-888-310-1122.