In the News: ‘Perth driver fined for carting 54 people in horse trailer’

Yep. That’s a real headline out of Ontario, Canada.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The incident took place last week.

According to mississauga.com:

Perth County OPP say they noticed something strange as they pulled over a pick-up truck carting a horse trailer near Milverton, Ont., over the weekend. When the trailer was opened, police found 54 people packed inside.

OPP say the passengers in the trailer were being driven to a rodeo dance.

The pick-up driver from Perth East is charged under the Highway Traffic Act.

The driver, a 48-year-old man from Perth East Township, says the group was headed to a local fairgrounds to attend the Milverton Rodeo dance.

Media Constable Kees Wijnands told CBC.ca, “They figured probably it was a safe way, they weren’t drinking or driving. There was no alcohol with any one of them. No booze on the trailer or truck.”

“On the one hand maybe they were trying to be very responsible, trying to get there without having anyone drink,” he said. “On the other hand, it is fairly illegal to operate a trailer with occupants in the trailer, whether it be a boat trailer, house trailer or horse trailer.”

Wijnands suggested the group would have been better served renting a bus or a couple passenger vans.

“The officer acted out of his concern for the well-being for these individuals. If that trailer got hit, we could be looking at some serious bodily injuries,” he said.

The driver was fined $110 under the Highway Traffic Act for drawing an occupied trailer.

Go Riding.