#41: BOYFRIEND VS TRUCK 🚚

👮 POLICE - Thunder Bay cop admits he stole cash from wallet of man who overdosed

👩‍❤️‍👨 DATING - Guelph man hit by truck after pushing girlfriend to safety

🏒 SPORTS - Oshawa junior hockey team asks fans to shower before attending games

Good morning.

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and love stories abound across the news cycle.

On Tuesday, a Norwegian biathlon skier won bronze and told reporters afterward that he cheated on his girlfriend. 

“Six months ago I met the love of my life. The world's most beautiful, sweetest person. And three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her,” he said. 

He was coming clean to seek forgiveness from his girlfriend.

“I am sure there are many people who will see things differently, but I only have eyes for her,” he said.

We had our own love story unfold in the Canadian news cycle this week after a man sacrificed his body to save his girlfriend from being bulldozed by a truck. More on that below. 

Enjoy today’s stories.

-Peter

⌛️ Today’s read is 1.5 minutes long.

🎲 WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

▲ 80% chance former CBC anchor Avi Lewis wins federal NDP leadership election on March 29 (+35% this year).

▲ 26% chance Justin Trudeau & Katy Perry get engaged before 2027 (+5% this week).

▼ 5% chance Alberta joins the USA this year (-11% this year).

▲ 39% chance a federal election will be called before June 30 (+5% this week).

▼ 15% chance Trump increases tariffs on Canada by June 30 (-34% this month).

▲ 59% chance a province schedules a referendum to leave Canada before 2027 (+15% this week).

*Odds are based on yes/no betting activity by users on Polymarket.

A Thunder Bay police officer has been found guilty of breach of trust after admitting he stole around $1,000 cash from the wallet of a man who overdosed in a motel two summers ago.

Peter Ritchie was one of the first responders at an overdose in a Thunder Bay motel on July 18, 2024. They found a man unconscious in a room and began trying to resuscitate him. 

The man’s girlfriend told police his wallet was on a table in the room with his health card and numerous $50 bills, totalling around $1,000.

Nobody saw Ritchie take the wallet, but when he later handed it to a paramedic, the cash was gone.

“I don’t see any money,” Ritchie said when asked about it. 

After the man who overdosed was resuscitated, a paramedic confronted Ritchie about the money. 

“Oh, that’s where that went,” Ritchie said, pulling the money out of his pocket. He put it back in the man’s wallet and noted casually that the money must’ve slipped out of the wallet while it was in his pocket. 

But when police investigated the incident, they found that the wallet had no defects. Moreover, it had a Velcro fastener to prevent items from falling out.

Last week in court, Ritchie pleaded guilty to breach of trust but not theft. His lawyer is seeking a suspended sentence of 18 months' probation.

Ritchie resigned from the Thunder Bay Police Service last month.

“I am deeply ashamed of what I did,” he said. 

“I accept the consequences of my actions and do not ask the court to excuse them.”

Ritchie will be sentenced on Feb. 20.

_{Source: Orillia Matters}

A Guelph man was hospitalized this week after getting hit by a transport truck that would’ve struck his girlfriend had he not pushed her to safety. 

The man and his girlfriend, both 18, were crossing an intersection beside the University of Guelph campus on Monday afternoon when a truck began turning into their street.

The man pushed his girlfriend out of the way before being struck by the front of the truck, which braked but couldn’t stop in time.

“The truck driver did see the pedestrians and attempted to stop, but was unable to avoid the collision,” police said.

The man’s injuries were not life-threatening. He was transported to a Hamilton hospital for treatment, while the truck driver remained on scene and cooperated with police.

A Guelph Police spokesman told CBC that the collision is still under investigation. 

“We haven't spoken to all the witnesses at this point,” said Scott Tracey. “So we don't know why, how it happened or what other factors were at play.” 

Police ask anyone with dashcam footage of the collision to come forward.

The worst team in the Ontario Hockey League is asking its fans to shower before coming to their games.

The 12-36 Oshawa Generals sent an email to their season-ticket holders this week asking fans to freshen up before attending the rink. 

“We kindly ask for your cooperation with a few simple hygiene practices,” they wrote. 

“If you went to the gym or did something that produced body odour, please shower before attending the game.”

The email, which was written by the Generals’ Director of Ticket Sales, Jason Hickman, also asked fans to “be mindful of personal cleanliness” and to cover their “coughs and sneezes” at the rink. 

“If you’re feeling unwell, we encourage you to take care of yourself and cheer us on from home when possible,” Hickman wrote.

In an interview, Hickman told Durham Region Dot Com that he sent the email in response to numerous complaints about fans “smelling like cat pee” or having “bad breath.”

“It’s one of those things where I’ve got to act on it for the people who do complain,” he said. “But it’s a very delicate situation.”