Hamilton man charged in downtown crash that left woman with critical injuries
Hamilton police say they have completed their investigation into a multi-vehicle crash that left a Smithville woman with catastrophic injuries this past December and charged three people.
The three-vehicle crash happened shortly before 11 a.m. Dec. 9 at Cannon Street East and James Street North in downtown Hamilton. The initial collision happened in the intersection between a westbound Hyundai SUV and a southbound GMC Sierra, police said.
The force of the collision sent the GMC onto the sidewalk, where a 34-year-old Smithville woman had been waiting to cross the road. The truck came to a stop against a third vehicle, a Volkswagen Touareg, just south of the intersection.
The woman, who has been identified as Whitney Horne, was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
In a release Thursday, police said detectives from the collision reconstruction unit determined the actions" of a 56-year-old Hamilton man, who was driving the Hyundai SUV, allegedly caused the collision.
He's now facing charges of careless driving causing bodily harm and operating an unsafe vehicle.
A 34-year-old Niagara Falls woman, who police said was at the wheel of the GMC Truck, has also been charged in connection to the collision. She's been charged with making a false statement - a charge that falls under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act - as well as operating an unsafe vehicle.
The owner of the truck, a 47-year-old Hamilton man, is also facing charges of permitting the operation of a vehicle on a highway with no insurance - which also falls under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act - and permitting the operation of an unsafe vehicle.
Police did not release any of the accused's names.
Horne - who is not named in the release - remains in hospital and continues to recover from her injuries, according to police.
Her injuries in the crash included a crushed pelvis and ribs, spinal fractures and a bleeding spleen, longtime friend Chantelle Camarro, who organized a GoFundMe account to help the family with expenses, said in December.
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com