Hwy. 69 S-curve realigned ‘for sake of driver safety’

A section of Hwy. 69 near Killarney, where a young mother and her twin boys were killed in 2002, has been realigned to provider a straighter route.

In Aug. 2002, a tractor-trailer operated by Michael Hickey rolled over near the Killarney turnoff and struck a vehicle driven by Kelly Ann Henderson. She and her two 12-year-old twin sons, Jordin and Corbin Sauvé, were killed.

Hickey was found not guilty of criminal negligence June 6, 2008.

The section of highway was officially opened by Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne on Aug. 11, eight years and four days after the family died. The road has been open to traffic since July 27, and is part of a bigger project scheduled to be complete in 2012.

The project involved realigning four kilometers of Highway 69 that followed a twisting route known as the Killarney “S” Curve.

It also included the construction of four new bridges — two at Lovering Creek and two at Lovering Lake Road.
Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci campaigned for the four-laning and adjustments of Hwy. 69 as part of the Crash 69 Committee.

“At that time, I committed to (Henderson’s) brother, Ron Henderson, a member of the committee, that we would be tireless in our efforts and these efforts will continue,” Bartolucci said in a press release.

“Our government has listened and responded to northerners demanding that Highway 69 be expanded and improved for the sake of driver safety.”