Passenger caught riding on fold‑up chair in back of cargo van, police say

A cargo van was stopped on Highway 50 in Bolton, Ont., after police say a passenger was caught sitting on a card table chair in the back seat on April 23, 2026. (OPP)

“Don’t play poker with safety.” This was the message from police after a traffic stop in Bolton, Ont., revealed a passenger riding in the back of a cargo van on a fold-up chair.

It happened Thursday around 5:28 p.m. on Highway 50, just north of Mayfield Road.

An officer told CTV News they noticed something odd as the van drove by. A person in the back appeared to be “unusually close to the front seats,” despite the vehicle being strictly intended for cargo.

Police said when they stopped the van and opened the side door, the passenger was sitting on an unsecured card table chair in the back surrounded by saws and other tools.

“Obviously the safety issue is that in the case of an emergency stop or collision the passenger is not secured at all,” said Caledon OPP Const. Ian Michel. “Not only is the passenger capable of becoming a projectile but so is the chair.”

While more drivers and passengers are buckling up, officers say there’s still a misconception when it comes to back-seat riding.

“We are seeing more compliance with drivers and front passengers wearing seatbelts, but many people don’t that in the back matters,” said Michel. “If they are sitting in a proper seat, the seatbelts are not there just for decoration, they need to be worn. If there are not seats, as in this cargo van, then there should be no passengers in the back at all.”

Police said the man was charged with failing to occupy a position with a seatbelt and issued a $110 ticket. No demerit points were added.

“A person’s life is important; not wearing a seatbelt is a gamble that will always have you on the losing side,” concluded Michel.