Ont. man accused of drunk, dangerous driving causing death of motorcyclist granted bail

A Bracebridge, Ont., man accused of impaired and dangerous driving causing the death of a Toronto man in October 2025 along Highway 11 in Oro-Medonte has been granted his release following a bail review.

Donald Austin, 37, was bailed out by loved ones on strict house arrest conditions with a GPS ankle monitor and a pledge of $40,000.

Initially denied bail, Austin had been behind bars since October when police said Austin, while behind the wheel of a pickup truck, was involved in a deadly crash, killing Harnoor Singh, 27, who was riding a motorcycle along Highway 11 south, near Line 15 in Oro-Medonte.

Provincial police confirmed witnesses reported the motorcycle and pickup truck were involved in a “road rage-type altercation” in the moments leading up to the crash at about 10:30 on the night of Oct. 6, 2025.

• RELATED: Toronto man killed in Highway 11 ‘road rage’ collision, Bracebridge man charged

Police said the body of Harnoor Singh was discovered lying on the highway following several calls for help to 911.

Friends described Harnoor Singh as a kind and genuine person who moved to Canada from India in 2021 before graduating with a master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Loved ones said Singh was a software engineer who dreamed of becoming a Canadian citizen and starting a family in Ontario. An avid motorcycle rider, his family said Harnoor was intelligent, ambitious, and full of life, telling CTV News his death was avoidable.

According to investigators, witnesses said the driver of the pickup truck remained on scene following the crash and showed obvious signs of impairment. Austin has been charged with impaired and dangerous driving causing death; obstructing a police officer; failure or refusal to comply with a breathalyzer demand; driving without insurance; and driving while under suspension and without a permit.

According to court records obtained by CTV News, Austin was arrested and charged with impaired driving three years ago in Bracebridge after police said his vehicle flipped into a ditch off Taylor Road. He was fined $2,000 and banned from driving for a year.

Austin is due back in a virtual courtroom in Orillia for a pretrial hearing in April. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.