Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1921, June 18 - Crossing collision near Glen Robertson, GTR., Alexandria sub., one dead, one injured

Ottawa Citizen 20 June 1921 WOMAN KILLED IN CROSSING ACCIDENT Miss P. Villeneuve of Montreal Met Death Near Village  - E. Villeneuve, a Nephew, in Hospital Here. Eugene Villeneuve, aged 18 years, Glen Robertson, Ont., is in St. Luke's hospital, here, suffering from slight flesh wounds, while his aunt Miss Phoebe Villeneuve, of Montreal, with whom he had been driving, was instantly killed, when their buggy was struck by a G.T.R. Montreal-Ottawa train on Saturday morning. The accident happened about a mile east of Glen Robertson, while the party was on its way to St. Justine to visit another nephew. Coroner Dr. Munroe, of Maxville, opened an inquest into the death of the late Miss Villeneuve, at Glen Robertson on Saturday, and after viewing the remains and empanelling a jury, adjourned the hearing till next Friday evening. The accident happened about nine o'clock, Saturday morning. Eugene iVilleneuve and his aunt. Miss Villeneuve, were driving from Glen Robertson to St. Justine in a buggy, and apparently their horse took fright and ran in front of the approaching train. The animal had got across the tracks clear of the locomotlve, but the rig was smashed into splinters, and its occupants thrown about twenty feet along the tracks. When picked up, Miss Villeneuve was dead while her nephew was conscious, but the-extent of his injuries was not known. The two were taken on the train, and the boy was attended to by Dr. Bouleau, of St. Polycarp. He then was sent to Ottawa on the train from Montreal, and was taken to St. Luke's hospital. Dr. McKinnon is caring for him here..It was said at the hospital last night that his condition is not serious and that he was sufering from cuts. Miss Villeneuve's body was taken on the train into the province of Quebec, but the coroner from Montreal was unable to hold an inquest, as she had been killed in Ontario, and Coroner Munroe, of Maxville, in whose district she had been killed, was unable to hold an inquest, because the body was in the province of Quebec. However, her relatives brought the body back to Glen Robertson, and then Coroner Munroe opened an inquest there. In the opinion of Coroner Munroe, the horse took fright and ran in front of the approaching train. On both sides of the road near the railway crossing where the accident happened, there is a clear view of the railway tracks, and especially on the side from which the train approached, so that there is no doubt that the occupants of the rig saw the approaching train, nor of the engineer seeing the rig. At the point where the accident happened, the road runs in an easterly direction, while the railway tracks run to the south east. Mr. Robert Orr. of 127 Concord street, Ottawa, was engineer on the train. Ottawa Journal 20 June 1921 WOMAN MEETS DEATH AT GLEN ROBERTSON Eugene Villeneuve escapes when aunt is killed. Eugene Villeneuve, of Glen Robertson, who was injured when a buggy in which he and his aunt were driving was struck by the G.T.R. Ottawa - Montreal train Saturday, is reported as progressing favorably by the doctors at St Luke's hospital, where he was taken following the accident. His aunt, Miss Phoebe Villeneuve, of Montreal, was killed instantly. The boy, who is 16 years old, is suffering from several cuts, the most serious of which is an injury to one eye. The accident happened one mile east of Glen Robertson. The general opinion is that the horse took fright and ran in front of the approaching train, as there is a clear view of the track from where the accident happened. Dr. Munroe, of Maxville, had some trouble holding an inquest on the body of Miss Villeneuve. The body was taken soon after to Montreal, where the coroner was unable to hold an inquest, the accident having happened in Ontario. Relatives brought the body back to Glen Robertson, where the inquest was opened and adjourned until Friday. Eastern Ontario Review Friday 24 June 1921 Woman Killed by Train Miss Phoebe Villeneuve Meets death at Crossing Near Glen Robertson Miss Phoebe Villeneuve, aged 61 years, of Montreal, was instantly killed near Glen Robertson Monday when a buggy in which she was riding was hit by G.T.R. train No. 2, bound for Montreal. Her nephew, Eugene Villeneuve, aged 16 years who was with her, was severely injured. The accident happened one mile east of Glen Robertson, when Miss Villeneuve and Eugene were on their way to St. Justin. The horse evidently took fright at the approaching train and galloped across the track, the locomotive striking the carriage. Eugene was unconscious when picked up and rushed to a hospital in Ottawa, where his condition is reported as not serious.

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Updated 25 October 2020