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Orillia man, 32, charged in Highway 12 crash that claimed senior's life

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An Orillia man has been arrested four months after a collision on Highway 12 in Ramara Township that police say claimed the life of a senior.

The two-vehicle crash happened on June 11 in Ramara Township on Highway 12 near Concession Road 11.

Upon impact, one of the cars involved crashed into a ditch and caught on fire. Ramara Fire Chief Tony Stong told CTV News the lone occupant was able to escape the vehicle.

Stong said the occupants in the other mangled vehicle were trapped inside and had to be freed by emergency crews.

Two people were rushed to a local hospital, and a third, 92-year-old Cecil Byers, was airlifted to a trauma centre in the Toronto area.

Two days after the crash, on June 13, police say Byers, a passenger in the vehicle, died of injuries sustained in the crash. He was a week shy of his 93rd birthday.

Investigators have now charged Tyson Altvater, 32, with dangerous operation causing death.

Police have not disclosed the cause of the collision.

Altvater is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Orillia next month. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.

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