Image

Driver whose SUV was shredded in Alvinston crash guilty

December 22, 2020

Alex Kurial/Local Journalism Initiative

The driver of an SUV that was shredded when he crashed on a dark country road outside of Alvinston pled guilty to dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

It was shortly after midnight on Mar. 2, 2019 when Ivan Russell, 29, was driving south on Cameron Rd.

His GMC Yukon was estimated to be travelling more than double the speed limit doing 165 km/h.

Russell passed the Alvinston Cemetery and lost control of the vehicle at the curve in the road.

The SUV collided with a hydro pole so savagely that the frame was torn off the chassis and the pole was completely severed.

The three passengers were flung along the ground. Russell stayed in the remains of the SUV which then smashed into a tree. The wreckage was so bad Brooke-Alvinston firefighters had to free him with the jaws of life.

Russell’s passengers – a man from Plympton-Wyoming, a man from Dawn-Euphemia, and a woman from Petrolia – were lucky to survive the crash. One man had severe neck and back injuries while the other man had a serious head injury. The woman sustained serious leg injuries that needed surgery.

Russell, who is from Oil Springs, appeared virtually in Sarnia Court Dec. 21 pleading guilty to three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Justice Anne McFadyen accepted the guilty pleas and adjourned the case while a pre-sentence report is prepared. Russell returns to court on Feb. 22.

Share This

Image
Front Page

ICYMI: Record-breaking crowd at Alvinston Rodeo

June 20, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Like the movie says; if you build it, they will come. The Alvinston Pro Rodeo committee brought in larger stands hoping to accommodate visitors to the three-day event. Saturday night, those stands were filled and there were still people looking for seats according to Chairman Dan Cumming. Here’s just some of the action from the event:

Read More

Image
Front Page

Lambton Public Health issues first heat warning of the summer

June 20, 2025

FROM LAMBTON PUBLIC HEALTH With the prediction of hot and humid weather expected to start on Saturday,June 21 and continue into next week, Environment and Climate Change Canada is issuing a HeatWarning for Lambton County. Heat warnings are issued when two or more consecutive days of daytime maximum temperatures areexpected to reach 31°C or warmer and nighttime minimum temperatures are

Read More

Image
Front Page

Rural bus service starts making stops in Wyoming Monday

June 20, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Before there was money to bring a bus into Wyoming, Susan Mills was answering questions from residents about a new rural transit system. The Town of Plympton-Wyoming became a partner in the rural transit system called Huron Shores Area Transit earlier this spring. But service didn’t begin immediately. Lambton Shores, which runs the system, and its partners,

Read More

Image
Front Page

Why spend $20K to study a bridge to nowhere: McEwen

June 20, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Plympton-Wyoming Deputy Mayor Netty McEwen says it doesn’t make sense to spend $20,000 to study a bridge that goes nowhere. Paul daSilva, Director of Public Works, in a report to council June 11, suggested spending $40,000 to do Municipal Environmental Assessments on two low-traffic bridges, one on O’Brien Road, the other on Elmsley Road. “I took a

Read More