New Brunswick driver gets a $4,600 fine — for an accident that happened 65 years ago

After a minor car accident just before Christmas, 85-year-old Ossie Gildart was shocked to find out that his driver’s license had been suspended. What was even more surprising was the reason behind it – an uninsured accident that supposedly occurred in Toronto back in 1960. Gildart couldn’t recall ever being in such an accident, let alone driving uninsured.

Living in Ontario at the time of the alleged incident, Gildart was required to have insurance as part of his job as a service technician. When he moved back to New Brunswick in 1971, he obtained his Class 1 license to drive trucks for CN Rail. Throughout the years, he renewed his license without any issues related to this supposed accident.

Upon visiting Service New Brunswick to take his driver’s test, Gildart was informed that his license had been suspended until he paid a hefty sum of $4,661.91 to cover the damages from the uninsured accident. Despite his disbelief and confusion, his license was reinstated, and he was allowed to schedule his driver’s test again. However, he was still left with the burden of paying off the outstanding amount to the Ontario Ministry of Transport.

According to a spokesperson for New Brunswick’s Department of Public Safety, Service New Brunswick conducts a thorough scan for license suspensions across all provinces. However, they are not obligated to suspend or collect outstanding amounts for court-ordered judgments that are more than 10 years old.

Gildart and his family are considering their options, including hiring a lawyer to challenge the claim. He expressed his frustration at the situation, stating that he was never notified about any issues with his license before. As he approaches his 86th birthday, he finds it hard to believe that he is facing such a dilemma at his age.

The Ontario Ministry of Public Business and Service Delivery mentioned that individuals facing claims through the program have the option to defend themselves or seek legal advice to challenge the judgment. As Gildart navigates this unexpected challenge, he remains determined to resolve the issue and clear his name of any wrongdoing.