When you’re in a hurry in the morning and rush to take the bus, you only have one thing on your mind: to get to work or to school as soon as possible. However, many people who took the OC Transpo bus number 76 last Wednesday morning never made it to their final destination.
For unknown circumstances, an OC Transpo double-decker bus and a Via Rail Train collided around 8:50 am on September 18th. The scene of the accident was reported near Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road. According to Francois Prenovost, RailTerm co-founder, video footage showed the bus hit and destroyed the crossing gate in front of the train tracks. Did you know that every crossing was monitored and recorded? So, investigators hope to find the answer to the question that the entire city has on their mind: What really happened on that bus and why? For unknown reasons, the bus driver didn’t press on the breaks when he saw the flashing lights and the crossing gate closing. Maybe he did try to stop the bus, but couldn’t. That’s the reason why it’s so important to check your car or any vehicle before using it. You may be able to prevent an accident of your own. Many passengers yelled at the top of their lungs to stop – unfortunately, to no avail. Some eyewitness saw the front of the bus rip off due to the huge impact of both public vehicles. This unexpected event caused the unfortunate death of 6 individuals – students, civil servants and loved family members of the Ottawa community. Dave Woodard, the bus driver, was also killed in the accident. Luckily, the passengers on the Via Rail train had no injuries, but like everybody else, they were in shock.
The OC Transpo team claimed that Dave Woodard had about 10 years of driving experience. Terry Woodard, the bus driver’s wife commented on the accident on Wednesday afternoon: “He’s a very careful driver…He’d never put anyone in jeopardy”. So, how come he couldn’t stop the bus in order to prevent the accident? What really went down that day? Well, according to the Safer Roads Ottawa Program, a program that works to prevent or eliminate road injuries or serious death, Ottawa roads welcome about 15, 000 new drivers every year. Additionally, Ottawa is the third most traffic-congested city in Canada. These facts alone should make every driver twice more careful on the road, especially if driving near Riverside Drive and Hunt Club Road since it is the most dangerous intersection in Ottawa. There were more than 53 accidents that occurred at that intersection in 2011. The second most dangerous intersection is Belfast Road at St. Laurent Boulevard with 32 collisions in 2011, and the third is Baseline Road at Woodroffe Avenue, with 31 crashes. After the incident of September 18th, the safety board said: “The risk of passenger trains colliding with vehicles remains too high in busy rail corridors.” Since 2002, road safety has been a serious issue for the mayor and his colleagues. That’s why they have decided to build an underpass for Woodroffe Avenue, where the accident occurred, and make the Transitway not far from it. Perhaps, this tragic day would have never happened if these plans had come to life in time. We can only hope that we will soon have an answer to all our questions about the accident.
From the entire Her Campus team, we offer our sincere condolences to the families who lost a friend, loved one, or relative during this terrible accident. Wednesday, September 18th 2013 will be a day that will stay forever in our minds and hearts. We are sure that our loved ones will be watching over us from above.
Photo Credits:
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