A Niagara man who is awaiting sentencing in a hit-and-run that killed a NOTL cyclist is facing new charges after a boat collided with a swimmer in Muskoka on Friday evening.
Richard Alan Moore, 39, has now been charged with impaired operation causing bodily harm, refusing to provide a breath sample, failing to stop at an accident causing bodily harm and failing to comply with a release order.
The victim, identified in online posts by family members as Austin Anderson, 22, of Georgina, near Lake Simcoe, suffered life-threatening injuries, police said.
Moore has a scheduled court appearance this Wednesday, July 23, to set a date for sentencing after he pleaded guilty in June to reckless driving in the death of 84-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake cyclist Nestor Chemerika.
Moore, who grew up in NOTL but now lives in Niagara Falls, is accused of operating the boat that struck Anderson in Skeleton Lake, north of Bracebridge, said a spokesperson for the area’s OPP detachment.
In a media statement, the OPP said the victim was swimming when the boat hit him and people on shore jumped into the water to rescue him.
The boat fled the scene and Moore was arrested a short time later, police said.
Anderson was rushed to an area hospital and then by air ambulance to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
Moore’s guilty plea in St. Catharines court last month came after Niagara Regional Police investigators determined he had struck Chemerika on July 13, 2023, on East and West Line near Niagara Street and then fled the scene.
Moore had been at the NOTL Legion, where video surveillance showed him purchasing a pitcher of draught beer about an hour prior to the incident, court was told. The video did not show him consuming any beer, however.
On the evening Chemerika was hit, Moore was seen wearing a “volunteer fire department” T-shirt.
NOTL fire chief Jay Plato confirmed Moore had been a volunteer with the department but resigned about six years ago.
Anderson’s family members have launched a GoFundMe campaign for him, noting his injuries are severe and that if he recovers, he could need specialized care.
As well, while he is in hospital, family members, including his parents Erin and Brennan, are staying in Toronto to be near him.
An initial posting by Bianca and Brennan Anderson noted that doctors said “the likelihood of him recovering is, heartbreakingly, very low.”
However, in an update Sunday on the GoFundMe page, Bianca Anderson said: “Thanks to the skilled medical team at St. Mike’s Hospital, blood flow has been successfully restored to Austin’s hand through extensive surgery, likely avoiding the need for amputation.”
“Even more encouraging, Austin has begun to show signs of activity, resulting in small conscious movements/responses that the medical team are considering promising. These early signs are a powerful reminder of Austin’s strength and resilience.”
“While this progress gives hope, the road ahead remains long. Austin will continue to undergo additional procedures and is expected to remain in the hospital for the foreseeable future,” she said.
“Austin is a bright, kind and spirited 22-year-old person with so much life ahead of him.”
In a further update on Monday afternoon, the family stated, “At this stage in Austin’s recovery, doctors expect him to remain in a coma for at least two more weeks to allow his body the time it needs to rest and heal from this horrible accident. This next phase will require patience, strength and continued support.”
As of Monday evening, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $13,000.
See Thursday’s edition of The Lake Report for updates on this story.