Tara Jeffrey
A 34-year Camlachie man was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run that left a local cyclist seriously injured earlier this month.
Lambton OPP say the man was arrested Monday evening and faces charges of failure to stop after an accident; failure to report an accident, and careless driving causing bodily harm.
Police confirmed to The Journal that a Sentry Fire truck was the suspect vehicle involved in the collision, which occurred Friday, Sept. 1 around 8:45 p.m. (An original OPP post stated the incident occurred around 11 p.m.).
“The cyclist was transported to hospital with serious injuries and the involved vehicle had fled the area prior to police arrival,” OPP said this week.
The cyclist, identified as Allan Ross, was struck while riding near Lakeshore and Mandaumin roads. He was airlifted to London where he underwent surgery for injuries that included a fractured pelvis and spine. He also suffered bruised kidneys and broken teeth. He was wearing a helmet.
OPP issued a post on social media the following evening seeking witnesses to a hit-and-run, with few details.
While no vehicle description was provided by police, social media users were quick to spread the word about a suspected “white pickup truck with black racing stripes,” as described by the victim’s friends and family.
Photos provided to The Journal show a white Sentry Fire truck with black racing stripes and front-end damage being towed from downtown Sarnia last week.
Sarnia Police Const. Nelson Amaral told The Journal that a citizen spotted the truck in a parking lot in the 200 block of Front Street and called police.
"A 34-year-old-male (believed to be the driver) was cautioned at the scene."Ross had recently been participating in the Great Cycle Challenge to raise money for the SickKids Foundation, riding more than 604km and raising $1,000 according to his fundraising page.