One person has died in a motorcycle collision not far from Port Dover where riders converged on the municipality for Friday the 13th celebrations.
Ontario Provincial Police acting Sgt. Ed Sanchuk says the crash happened at Blueline and Cockshutt Roads around 1:00 p.m.
“It was determine that the motorcyclist was travelling on Blueline road when the operator collided with a vehicle travelling westbound on St. John’s Road East,” Sanchuk said in a social media post.
The rider was sent to a hospital where they died. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured.
Blueline Road, between Highway 6 and Lynn Valley Road, and St. Johns Road, between Ireland Road and Cockshutt Road were closed for hours while officers investigated.
OPP have dealt with at least four collisions on Friday, three of which occurred in Port Dover.
All of the individuals in the latter three incidents suffered minor injuries.
Haldimand OPP officers also reported a serious single-vehicle motorcycle crash that led to road closures.
Police said the motorcyclist was heading in the direction of Port Dover, but couldn’t directly confirm if that was his destination.
That cyclist, identified as 65-year-old Leslaw K. Stys of Brant County, was air lifted by Ornge Air Ambulance to an out-of-town hospital.
The incident shut down Riverside Drive, between Rainham Road and East Quarter Line for hours.
“It’s just a stark reminder, please any time you get behind the handlebars or the wheel of a vehicle, your safety is a priority. Make sure your head is on a swivel.” Sanchuk told 900 CHML’s Hamilton Today.
About 75,000 were at Port Dover biker rally as of mid-day
Sanchuk estimates just over 75,000 hit the Port Dover area around Noon with more expected throughout the day.
Pre-pandemic, the famous biker showcase had drawn crowds of over 100,000 on occasion over the decades, including an estimated 140,000 in 2018, according to the Sgt.
Last August, only about 40,000 made the trip to an event that still had some public health restrictions tied to the pandemic.
The 2022 gathering included fixtures not seen in since 2019, including a main stage with live bands Thursday and Friday in the Elmer Lewis parking lot on Main Street between Chapman and Market streets.
Last month, the county issued a statement acknowledging potential “traffic-related issues” and saying municipal staff were working with organizers and the surrounding community to mitigate possible licensing and enforcement problems.
— With files from Don Mitchell
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