Ontario man ticketed after Dec. 29 crash that destroyed $250K Seneca Niagara welcome sign
Jan. 9—NIAGARA FALLS — A 41-year-old North York, Ontario, man was issued several traffic tickets following Dec. 29's crash that destroyed Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino's welcome sign and billboard located at the corner of Rainbow and John B. Daly boulevards downtown.
According to a Niagara Falls police report, officers responded to the accident about 1:45 a.m. and found a green 2008 BMW BX6 off the road in the grass and the welcome sign completely demolished.
The driver was uninjured and standing on the sidewalk. He said he was heading north on John B. Daly when he tried to make a left-hand turn onto Rainbow Boulevard and swerved to avoid another vehicle.
While he initially said he driving about 20 mph to 30 mph at the time of the crash, under further questioning, he admitted to police that he was probably traveling at an unsafe speed at the time of the accident.
An investigation determined that he had jumped the curb, struck additional concrete curbing and his BMW went airborne. Officers said the car sailed 30 to 40 feet in the air and struck the sign. Police noted a large steel girder was ripped from the ground and thrown about 50 feet due to the impact.
Casino staff who responded to the scene reported the welcome sign was valued at $250,000.
The driver was issued several traffic tickets, including imprudent speed and moving from a lane unsafely.
