(Ottawa, Ontario) A violent collision involving a Via Rail train and a double-decker bus OC Transpo in Ottawa at least six dead and thirty wounded this morning.
The collision occurred at a crossing at the height of Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road, south of Ottawa, to 8:50. The bus driver, Dave Woodward, and five passengers were among the victims. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
First aid teams were dispatched to the scene to rescue the injured. The injured passengers were transported in one of four hospitals in the national capital depending on the severity of their injuries.
"It was a terrible scene . II there was a lot of debris and the impact was really strong , "said Marc Messier, the Fire of Ottawa service on CTV . The front of the bus was completely ripped off.
A witness said the bus was traveling on a fast lane transit had not stopped at the barrier that blocked the track. The bus would have hit one of the cars , not the engine. The train carrying hundreds of passengers in all.
" Boom! he drove the train, told Pascal Lolgis . It has not stopped . It was perhaps no more brakes. Where he had ... an attack or something. "
"It just does not stop ," repeated the witness.
According to the president of the Union of OC Transpo drivers , Craig Watson , the driver had a decade of experience. "It was a very good driver . It was not a case of any problem . This is about all I can tell you for now . He was respected by his colleagues. And he will be greatly missed , "said Watson.
He would not disclose the identity of the driver at the moment. Mr. Watson stated that OC Transpo buses are not equipped with a recording box .
The train of four cars Via Rail operating between Montreal and Toronto had just left the station after Ottawa picked up other passengers . He derailed after the impact . No passenger train was injured , according to Via Rail. Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board are on the scene of the accident to begin their investigation. For now, the TSB , as representatives of the City of Ottawa and first responders are not able at this time to clarify the causes of the accident.
"Our priority now is to find the recorders , the black boxes on locomotives . Also registers with the signals [ ... ] with the bus. Our priority is to [ ... ] look if there were the braking of vehicles. From this information we will take , we can " determine the result of the investigation , said a spokesman for the TSB , Glen Pilon .
The driver did not seem to have seen the train
The passengers of the bus reportedly shouted to the OC Transpo bus driver to stop seeing the train spinning in their direction. All witnesses interviewed by La Presse also offered a similar version : the bus driver does not seem to have seen the train coming and continued to run , even smashing the barrier crossing. He tried to brake at the last minute , but it was too late.
Sitting in the back of the bus, Amanda Brookes , a student at the University of Ottawa who lives near Barrhaven , told have narrowly escaped death.
" I like to sit at the front of the bus , but today it was very busy . There was even someone standing up , "said she explained while her makeup in the morning ran down her cheeks.
"The bus was traveling and I was looking ... And I saw all the vehicles stopped . I thought : this is not a traffic light . It is a railroad crossing ! And I thought : Oh my God ! The cars are stopped, but our bus did not stop ! So everyone screamed ( the driver ) : Stop ! Stop it! "Said Mrs. Brookes , who is drawn with a slight knee injury.
"I suddenly saw that the bus was trying to stop . And I saw the bar drops flying through the air . And I thought : Oh my God ! We passed the point where ... The train can hit the bus! And then there was this huge impact. And the bus started shaking , and I was afraid that the bus overturned , but he ended up standing. "
" The bus tried to stop . It just has not stopped in time . It was terrifying ... " has she further said.
Another passenger on the bus , Chad Marriage , went to work in downtown Ottawa , is very fortunate to be unscathed by this tragedy. Shaken by this serious accident, he looked forward to returning to his home in Barrhaven in suburban Ottawa to see his little girl.
"I was sitting on the second floor to the rear of the bus. I noticed that the train was coming and we did not stop . Immediately, I have not done math in my head that was to hit the train. Once I heard the world say : Wow! Stop it! Stop it! At that time , I looked out the window and I saw the lights flashing. I realized at that moment that was to hit the train. We were lucky, I think that the train has passed the bus a little bit. We hit the engine , I think, after the nose is past. So those back in the middle of the bus were lucky that it was not a direct hit . But of course , my thoughts are with those who were not so lucky , "said he said.
"He has slowed much, much too late. I can not assume that he did. But no ... He braked . I felt a brake , because it got me out of my seat , " he has said.
After the impact , it was total chaos , he has said. " We did our best to help those who are injured . At the same time , we want to get off the bus and wants to see our family. "
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has appealed to people on his Twitter account that they give blood . The flags of the City of Ottawa were at half-mast on all municipal buildings .
Prime Minister Stephen Harper wrote a message of support on his Twitter account . "I learned with sadness the collision between the bus and the train to Ottawa this morning. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. "
Via Rail reacts
More than five hours after one of its trains or collided with a bus in Ottawa, Via Rail reacts.
In a very brief statement, the railway company says does not know the cause of the fatal accident and says it is working with the authorities involved in the investigation.
Train # 51, left Montreal at 6:20, was rammed into a bus OC Transpo at 8:50 this morning at a crossing located east of Fallowfield Station. Hundred passengers were aboard the train. Neither was injured.
"Employees and passengers on board the train will all the necessary support," says Via Rail. The passengers were traveling on trains between Ottawa and Toronto today will be transported by buses and significant delays are expected today, the company warns.
At the station of Montreal, all departures from Via Rail train from Ottawa and Toronto management were canceled and replaced by bus services until further notice.
The collision occurred at a crossing at the height of Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road, south of Ottawa, to 8:50. The bus driver, Dave Woodward, and five passengers were among the victims. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
First aid teams were dispatched to the scene to rescue the injured. The injured passengers were transported in one of four hospitals in the national capital depending on the severity of their injuries.
"It was a terrible scene . II there was a lot of debris and the impact was really strong , "said Marc Messier, the Fire of Ottawa service on CTV . The front of the bus was completely ripped off.
A witness said the bus was traveling on a fast lane transit had not stopped at the barrier that blocked the track. The bus would have hit one of the cars , not the engine. The train carrying hundreds of passengers in all.
" Boom! he drove the train, told Pascal Lolgis . It has not stopped . It was perhaps no more brakes. Where he had ... an attack or something. "
"It just does not stop ," repeated the witness.
According to the president of the Union of OC Transpo drivers , Craig Watson , the driver had a decade of experience. "It was a very good driver . It was not a case of any problem . This is about all I can tell you for now . He was respected by his colleagues. And he will be greatly missed , "said Watson.
He would not disclose the identity of the driver at the moment. Mr. Watson stated that OC Transpo buses are not equipped with a recording box .
The train of four cars Via Rail operating between Montreal and Toronto had just left the station after Ottawa picked up other passengers . He derailed after the impact . No passenger train was injured , according to Via Rail. Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board are on the scene of the accident to begin their investigation. For now, the TSB , as representatives of the City of Ottawa and first responders are not able at this time to clarify the causes of the accident.
"Our priority now is to find the recorders , the black boxes on locomotives . Also registers with the signals [ ... ] with the bus. Our priority is to [ ... ] look if there were the braking of vehicles. From this information we will take , we can " determine the result of the investigation , said a spokesman for the TSB , Glen Pilon .
The driver did not seem to have seen the train
The passengers of the bus reportedly shouted to the OC Transpo bus driver to stop seeing the train spinning in their direction. All witnesses interviewed by La Presse also offered a similar version : the bus driver does not seem to have seen the train coming and continued to run , even smashing the barrier crossing. He tried to brake at the last minute , but it was too late.
Sitting in the back of the bus, Amanda Brookes , a student at the University of Ottawa who lives near Barrhaven , told have narrowly escaped death.
" I like to sit at the front of the bus , but today it was very busy . There was even someone standing up , "said she explained while her makeup in the morning ran down her cheeks.
"The bus was traveling and I was looking ... And I saw all the vehicles stopped . I thought : this is not a traffic light . It is a railroad crossing ! And I thought : Oh my God ! The cars are stopped, but our bus did not stop ! So everyone screamed ( the driver ) : Stop ! Stop it! "Said Mrs. Brookes , who is drawn with a slight knee injury.
"I suddenly saw that the bus was trying to stop . And I saw the bar drops flying through the air . And I thought : Oh my God ! We passed the point where ... The train can hit the bus! And then there was this huge impact. And the bus started shaking , and I was afraid that the bus overturned , but he ended up standing. "
" The bus tried to stop . It just has not stopped in time . It was terrifying ... " has she further said.
Another passenger on the bus , Chad Marriage , went to work in downtown Ottawa , is very fortunate to be unscathed by this tragedy. Shaken by this serious accident, he looked forward to returning to his home in Barrhaven in suburban Ottawa to see his little girl.
"I was sitting on the second floor to the rear of the bus. I noticed that the train was coming and we did not stop . Immediately, I have not done math in my head that was to hit the train. Once I heard the world say : Wow! Stop it! Stop it! At that time , I looked out the window and I saw the lights flashing. I realized at that moment that was to hit the train. We were lucky, I think that the train has passed the bus a little bit. We hit the engine , I think, after the nose is past. So those back in the middle of the bus were lucky that it was not a direct hit . But of course , my thoughts are with those who were not so lucky , "said he said.
"He has slowed much, much too late. I can not assume that he did. But no ... He braked . I felt a brake , because it got me out of my seat , " he has said.
After the impact , it was total chaos , he has said. " We did our best to help those who are injured . At the same time , we want to get off the bus and wants to see our family. "
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has appealed to people on his Twitter account that they give blood . The flags of the City of Ottawa were at half-mast on all municipal buildings .
Prime Minister Stephen Harper wrote a message of support on his Twitter account . "I learned with sadness the collision between the bus and the train to Ottawa this morning. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. "
Via Rail reacts
More than five hours after one of its trains or collided with a bus in Ottawa, Via Rail reacts.
In a very brief statement, the railway company says does not know the cause of the fatal accident and says it is working with the authorities involved in the investigation.
Train # 51, left Montreal at 6:20, was rammed into a bus OC Transpo at 8:50 this morning at a crossing located east of Fallowfield Station. Hundred passengers were aboard the train. Neither was injured.
"Employees and passengers on board the train will all the necessary support," says Via Rail. The passengers were traveling on trains between Ottawa and Toronto today will be transported by buses and significant delays are expected today, the company warns.
At the station of Montreal, all departures from Via Rail train from Ottawa and Toronto management were canceled and replaced by bus services until further notice.
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