FATAL HWY. 11 NB MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT CLAIMS MAN, 51, JUST PAST SOUTH ENTRANCE TO GRAVENHURST MID-AFTERNOON TODAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — A fatal accident involving a motorcycle had Highway 11 NB closed mid-afternoon today for a major police investigation after the victim was thrown off.

Cottage traffic was re-routed here through the downtown after a stretch of highway just past the town’s Bethune Drive south entrance overpass was sealed off stretching as far north as Hewitt Road at the Gull Lake highway overpass.

A yellow tarp covered what appeared to be a body closer to the corner — where there have been several serious accidents over the decades north- and southbound.

Police say 51-year-old man from Niagara-on-the-Lake was ejected and unfortunately did not survive the collision.

His name was not released by police.

A 51-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake man was thrown off his motorcycle and died Friday afternoon at the south entrance to Gravenhurst. PHOTO OPP

The accident occurred around 3:15 p.m. under a clear, blazing 30-degree sun.

The highway was dotted with green, yellow and orange crime scene markers two hours later as several OPP Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (T.I.M.E.) team members investigated when MuskokaTODAY.com arrived on scene.

An officer was seen taking photos of a blue touring motorcycle standing in the left-hand lane facing southward.

A big black pickup truck with a large black hauling trailer was seen parked about 30 metres ahead next to the same west guard rail.

Police at the scene said they couldn’t comment any way about what caused the accident.

They said the investigation would continue for several hours while the road was closed.

At 5:30 p.m. a traffic jam on Muskoka Road through the downtown eased up after being backed up. Bethune Drive was also bumper to bumper northbound.

Vehicles were able to resume travel getting back onto on Highway 11 at Doe Lake Road.

Though some did veer off Bethune Drive along Pinedale Road and enter at Hewitt Road.

Anyone with information, such as dash camera footage, is asked to call Bracebridge OPP at 1-800-310-1122 or you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestopperssdm.com if you wish to remain anonymous.

A pickup truck and trailer were off the left shoulder parked next to the guard rail a short distance ahead of where the motorcycle was still standing and some distance in front of their victim appeared on the ground. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont
Southbound traffic remained open today during an OPP T.I.M.E. investigation.
Today’s accident, here, is the latest at the troublesome south entrance to Gravenhurst, where north- and southbound lanes have experienced numerous serious accidents despite traffic signs and lights warning drivers to slow down in both directions.

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