OPP identify officer killed in Cobourg motorcycle crash, Highway 401 shut down in both directions

Sgt. Brandon Malcolm has been identified as the OPP officer killed in an on-duty motorcycle collision on eastbound Highway 401 in Cobourg on Monday.

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique shared the news in a post on X late Monday night.

“We honour his service and bravery as we grieve this tremendous loss. We extend our deepest condolences and mourn alongside his loved ones and OPP colleagues across the province,” Carrique wrote.

The OPP said Malcolm joined the OPP in June 2020 and served his entire career with the Northumberland Detachment.

He was also a member of the Golden Helmets precision motorcycle riding team and served with the Canadian Armed Forces, Carrique said during a a brief media availability on Monday night.

Earlier, Ontario Provincial Police shared that one of their members had been killed in a single-vehicle involving a motorcycle on Highway 401 near Burnham Street North.

“A member of the OPP was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the OPP wrote.

The officer was not immediately identified as police worked to notify his next of kin.

“The OPP is assisting the member’s family as they deal with this tragedy. We acknowledge the significant impact of this tragic loss and extend our thoughts to everyone affected by this devastating incident,” the force wrote.

The circumstances surrounding this crash, which happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. and shut down the highway in both directions from Highway 28 in Port Hope to Burnham for several hours, remain under investigation.

Footage captured from CP24’s news chopper late Monday afternoon shows a white, possibly OPP, motorcycle on its side on the highway.

Multiple damaged OPP vehicles can also be seen nearby in what looks to be a secondary collision.

Numerous emergency responders attended the scene and police are asked motorists to avoid the area.

Condolences pouring in

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique shared the news in a post on X, saying that the force’s “thoughts are with the officer’s loved ones and with OPP members during this devastating time, as we grieve the loss of one of our own.”

“We ask that the public join us in keeping the officer’s family, friends and colleagues in their thoughts as we navigate this profound loss,” he wrote.

In a statement, the OPP Association said it is “devastated” the loss of one of its members who as killed in the line of duty on Monday while operating a police motorcycle in Cobourg and offered its ““deepest condolences to the Member’s family, colleagues, and friends” during this difficult time.

“We are heartbroken over the death of our Member, who was killed in the line of duty while operating a police motorcycle in Cobourg,” OPP Association President David Sabatini said.

“While the circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation, this tragedy reminds us of the dangers our Members face every day while serving and protecting the citizens of Ontario.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, meanwhile, says he’s “very sad” to hear that an OPP officer was killed in the line of duty earlier today.

“My thoughts are with the officer’s family and loved ones, as well as all of our brave women and men in uniform across the province who risk their lives every day to protect Ontario,” he wrote in a post on X.

York Centre MPP Michael Kerzner, who serves as Ontario’s Solicitor General, also shared his condolences on social media, saying his “thoughts are with the officer’s family, loved ones, and the entire OPP and policing community during this incredibly difficult time.”

“We honour their service, their courage, and their commitment to protecting our communities and our province each and every day,” he wrote.

The Ontario Provincial Police are asking anyone with further information, including video or dashcam footage, to contact them at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.