A local police constable was honoured with a Commissioner’s Citation for Life Saving, as well as a St. John Award for Lifesaving, for her efforts surrounding a crash earlier this year, June 16.

Unfortunately, however, no life was saved that night.

Still, Constable Kerry Richardson of the South-Bruce OPP was recognized for her efforts on Monday afternoon.

Richardson arrived at the scene of a collision between a Buick Cutlass and a John Deere tractor towing a seed driller shortly after officers from the Saugeen Police Service. The impact of the crash had sent the Buick off the Bruce-Saugeen Town Line, over an embankment and into a creek where in came to rest in four to five feet of murky, cold flowing water. The driver was rendered unconscious in the crash.

The police officers struggled to find the driver of the vehicle, which was difficult because of darkness, as well as the flow and depth of the river. The driver was located, and officers extracted him from the car by cutting his seatbelt. He was dragged to the riverbank, and Richardson conducted resuscitation attempts while the other officers returned to search for any passengers. There were none.

Paramedics arrived on the scene and took over Richardson’s attempt at saving the man’s life, rushing him to Southampton hospital. However, he was later pronounced dead at Southampton Hospital by the on-duty doctor.