Early Tuesday morning, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) made a startling discovery when they stopped a commercial truck on the QEW that was driving without any tires. Reports had been pouring in about the vehicle grinding down the highway on its bare rims, prompting a swift response from the Burlington OPP officers.
Responding to a traffic complaint just after 3 a.m., the officers intercepted the bobtail truck heading Toronto-bound from Ontario Street in St. Catharines. The deafening noise of the truck on its rims made it apparent that something was amiss even before it came into view.
The truck was finally halted near Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby, where the driver, seemingly unperturbed, was found calmly filling out his daily inspection report as an officer approached the vehicle. Photos released by the OPP showcased the truck precariously navigating the roadway directly on its rims, a situation deemed a “major defect” and a grave safety concern for other motorists at that time of the night.
A 36-year-old man from Brampton now faces a slew of charges, including operating an unsafe commercial motor vehicle, driving with a major defect, and failing to ensure the accuracy of his daily inspection report.
The police did not disclose how long the truck had been operating without tires or the reasons behind the driver’s decision to continue the journey in such a hazardous condition.