21 January 2008
Lucky to be Alive, North Dundas Farmer Charged with Careless Driving
Maple Ridge Ontario - Fifty-two-year-old Doug
Vasey of Winchester is lucky to be alive and injury-free after his northbound tractor hit an eastbound train north of
County Road 43 on Thurs., 21 Jul 2007, tearing the front end right off the tractor.
Vasey was driving a 1978 Landis tractor and pulling an empty flatbed trailer when he crossed the tracks into the path of an eastbound
CP Railway cargo train heading from Smiths Falls to Montreal, at 7:10 a.m. on Helmer Road, north of Maple Ridge Road between
Chesterville and Winchester.
Vasey was able to abandon the tractor just before the collision. The tractor received severe damage, and Vasey was taken to Winchester
District Memorial Hospital for a check-up but was not injured.
CP Railway Police officers arrived around 8 a.m. to clear the rail line and assist the SD&G OPP, who were called to the scene
shortly after the collision. They closed off the whole railway to keep the area safe as they waited for a new train crew to arrive from
Smiths Falls to take over and take the train away.
A section of Helmer Road was closed until approximately midday.
Const. R.B. Jones of the CP Railway Police covers all of Eastern Ontario and says this was the first serious accident he has seen
involving a train this year.
"It decreases every year," he said, noting that their Operation Lifesaver national public education program that aims to
decrease the number of collisions involving railways has been successful spreading the need for caution to schools, school bus
companies, and motorists.
Const. Josh Dorsey's investigation concluded that day, and Vasey was charged with careless driving.
"The positive thing about this is no one was hurt," SD&G OPP Community Services Officer Const. Joel Doiron said.
"(Vasey) must be the fastest guy in SD&G."
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