Some of the saddest words in the English language were used in a story this week about a tragic incident near Napanee.
Lennox and Addington OPP responded to a single vehicle ATV collision on Deer Rock Lake Road on Tuesday afternoon around 5 pm.
A 59-year-old from Nepean was pronounced deceased in hospital.
OPP officials made sure to include words “they were not wearing a helmet…”.
The only teen who died in my hometown during my high school years also died in an ATV crash, and while I didn’t know him well, the sudden and seemingly senseless nature of the tragedy has never left my thoughts more than 40 years later.
Proper safety measures are so important when engaged in activities like riding ATV’s or dirt bikes, or snowmobiles, especially due to the remote locations often involved and response times for paramedics if something goes wrong.
Helmets save lives. Reasonable speeds save lives. Sticking to known trails and areas and never riding alone are also sensible precautions.
Nothing is guaranteed. There was another fatal ATV crash in Trent Hills on Saturday afternoon.
All I know is that at least one family will have an empty chair at the table at Christmas that was not empty at Thanksgiving, and I hate that story more than words can adequately describe.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
