OPP roundup: Escaped cows chill out in residential area
An occasional roundup of unusual OPP news releases:
A herd of cows escaped from a farm in Russell, 40 kilometres southeast of Ottawa, on the morning of Aug. 19 and decided to take a rest in a residential area.
An early morning traffic hazard you won't see in the city!" police said. Russell County OPP officers kept an eye on them until the farmer could come and round them up."
In other cow news, on Aug. 14 at 6:20 a.m., police were called after a driver almost struck a cow standing in the middle of Oak Park Road near Brantford.
The driver and other motorists were able to safely slow down and pass the animal without being involved in a collision," police said.
The cows had vanished by the time police arrived.
This bed not for people
Police spotted a woman riding in the bed of a pickup truck on Highway 401 in Kingston on Aug. 25.
She was trying to prevent items from a big box shopping excursion from falling out," OPP said. The woman stated that she was wearing a ratchet strap as a seatbelt."
She was charged with fail to occupy a position with seatbelt." The driver was charged with careless driving. Ages were unavailable.
Sex across from police station
If you're drunk, don't have sex in a car parked across from the police station.
On Aug. 13 at 6:20 p.m., police got several complaints about two people engaged in an indecent act" in the parking lot near the OPP detachment on Broadway Street in Paris.
A 60-year-old man in the car was charged with impaired driving.
Chopper to the rescue
A 90-year-old fisherman from Waterloo was rescued after his boat went over a waterfall.
On Aug. 12 at 9:30 p.m. police were called to a report of an overdue fisherman on Thistle Lake, 110 kilometres northeast of Sudbury. He was found three hours later in his boat.
Due to the extreme rough terrain and remote location, neither the OPP Marine Unit nor the OPP helicopter were able to get close enough to the boater," police said.
He was rescued at 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 13 by a Griffon helicopter from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton. The man was in good health but was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Investigation revealed the man was fishing near the rapids when the boat engine shut off and he was unable to restart it," police said
At this time, his boat had drifted and it went down an eight-foot drop to the bottom of the rapids. He attempted to paddle up closer to the rapids with no success, at which point he decided to stay put and wait for assistance."
A video of the rescue was posted on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/status/1293956566400602113
Put down the (water) gun
An erratic driver pointed a water gun at police when he was pulled over.
On Aug. 14 around 6 p.m., police stopped the driver on Highway 93 near Waverley, 35 kilometres north of Barrie. He pointed the water gun but was convinced to drop it.
Turns out the driver also had a loaded air pistol and cocaine.
A Tay Township man, 22, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, mischief and being a novice driver with blood-alcohol above zero.
Out with a bang
Alleged criminals did a great job of getting the attention of the police.
Officers in Dungannon, near Goderich, were called to a residence on Aug. 7 for reports of a gunshot.
It turned out to be a firecracker. While investigating, police found a stolen pickup truck getting a new paint job. A man was arrested for failing to follow his house-arrest terms. He had a large amount of meth. Two local men, 35 and 40, and a woman, 39, face a variety of charges.
A bad day for thief
First he stole a pickup truck.
When it got stuck on a bridge, he stole a log skidder to dislodge the truck.
Then he lost control of the huge logging vehicle and ran over the pickup truck.
It all happened on Aug. 14 in the Hat Lake area, 65 kilometres north of Elliot Lake.
An Elliot Lake man, 36, was charged with theft and public mischief.
Sorry about that
The raised dump box of a dump truck collided with an overpass on Aug. 20 on Highway 417 in Ottawa.
The box became wedged there, while the rest of the vehicle kept moving a short distance," police said. The truck had been going close to 100 km/h.
The driver, 53, of Almonte was charged with careless driving.
Scrambled eggs
Police apparently take egg throwing very seriously in Tillsonburg, 35 kilometres south of Woodstock.
On Aug. 23 at 2:30 a.m., OPP were called to investigate eggs thrown at a house.
Although this may seem to be minor in nature, the deliberate act can cause significant damage to surfaces, especially if it is not removed quickly," police said.
Last we heard, the culprit was still on the run.
Gordon Paul is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on crime for The Record. Reach him via email: gpaul@therecord.com