A 41-year-old Toronto-area man was charged with attempted murder and several other offences last week after a commercial van allegedly struck three OPP cruisers, and “several” officers were injured during the course of a highway pursuit west of Thunder Bay.Provincial police said the incident occurred last Wednesday morning, the day after an 18-year-old Hearst man was charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 29-year-old OPP constable who died after being struck during an attempt to stop a vehicle in the Hearst area.
In the second incident that occurred last Wednesday, provincial police said officers first encountered the 41-year-old accused man while he was allegedly driving a Sprinter van just north of Thunder Bay near the intersection of Highway 11-17 and Highway 527.
“After a brief conversation with the (van’s) driver, officers became suspicious and initiated a traffic stop,” an OPP news release said on Monday.
“The driver remained for a short period of time, before fleeing from officers,” the news release added.
A second attempt to stop the van occurred an hour later on Highway 17 around 11 a.m. west of Thunder Bay near the community of Raith, police said.
“The van was ultimately stopped, though the driver (allegedly) intentionally struck and damaged three police vehicles,” the news release said.
Officers used a stun gun during the arrest, while the accused allegedly resisted and also tried to light the van on fire, the news release said.
Both the accused and affected officers received minor injuries, police added.
According to the OPP news release, Brampton resident Gurjit Singh was charged with about 30 offences, including four counts of attempted murder, three counts of assaulting a police officer, impaired driving, driving while under suspension, possession of heroin and methamphetamine and transporting dangerous goods without having proper training.
Singh was to appear in Thunder Bay court on Monday, the news release said. None of the charges have been proven in court.
Meanwhile, a private funeral for Dufferin OPP Const. Tarun Bali has been scheduled for Thursday at the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre near Toronto.
Bali, who had served with the OPP for just over two years, was working out of the force’s James Bay detachment on the early afternoon of June 9 when he was struck by a vehicle and later died of his injuries, police said.
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jun 16, 2026 at 10:20
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