ATV drivers are being warned about a dangerous discovery in Grey Highlands. Steve McIntyre’s side-by-side ran into a length of blue twine that had been strung up across an ATV trail just south of Flesherton on Sunday. “My wife was like, ‘What? What the hell was that?’” he told CTV News. “We got out and then that’s when we saw that there was like a piece of baling twine that had been tied between the gates there.” McIntyre believes that if they been driving another vehicle, especially one without a windshield, someone could have been seriously hurt. He and his wife Kelly had been out for dinner in Dundalk and then went for a spin on their side-by-side. On the way home they took a rail trail near West Back Line and north of 180 Road. That’s where they found the twine, which literally stopped the couple’s vehicle in its tracks. “It was kind of last second,” said McIntyre. “We could see something that looked like a wire or something across, and I hit the brakes, but obviously it was too late.” The couple immediately called police. They also posted a warning on social media for other ATV riders. “The [vehicle’s] frames are what took the impact,” McIntyre explained. “That cut the rope. But if somebody had been on an ATV traveling at high speeds… who knows? It could have hit them in the neck, could have knocked them off or caused a serious injury or death.” The couple said the incident won’t dissuade them from heading out on local trails again. However, they still want to know why someone would put the twine there. “You’re wondering, what kind of people do that?” said McIntyre. “I’m glad that I was hit it and not somebody that didn’t have protection. So, hopefully, it was just a one-off. Hopefully it’s not something that happens all the time, but at the same time you want to let people know and you don’t want to see anybody get injured.” To ensure rider safety, Rusty Birchard of the Dufferin Grey ATV Club said they have teams checking local trails for twine and other hazards.
