A 19-year-old driver from Pembroke is facing nearly a dozen charges following a single-vehicle crash that resulted in three people being sent to hospital early Saturday.
The Upper Ottawa Valley detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police said it was investigating the crash that occurred just after midnight on White Water Road near Highway 17 in Laurentian Valley Township, where a car had struck a rock cut.
There were seven people in the vehicle, police said in a news release. Four individuals, including the driver, were taken to hospital, and two of the passengers were subsequently flown to a regional trauma centre due to the extent of their injuries. Other passengers were not seriously hurt.
Passengers ranged in age from 16 to 21.
The charges against the driver included: operation while impaired; three counts each of impaired operation causing bodily harm, careless driving causing bodily harm and dangerous operation causing bodily harm; and driving while under suspension.
He was released from custody and was scheduled to appear in court in Pembroke on Jan. 13, police said.
White Water Road remained closed overnight for the police investigation.
Anyone with information or video of the incident was asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or to report anonymously through Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or online at ontariocrimestoppers.ca.
