Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area 

1925, September 6 - Rear end collision, Hull Electric Railway, one fatality

Ottawa Citizen 8 September 1925 16 YEAR OLD BOY FATALLY INJURED IN CAR COLLISION James Brown, Golf Caddie Here For Championship Tournament, Dies Soon After Accident. James Brown, aged 16 years, who was seriouslv injured in a Hull Electric street car collision on the Aylmer line on Sunday night, succumbed to his injuries early yesterday morning at the Ottawa General hospital, Water street, only a few hours after he was admitted. Dominic Presseau, motornan, 30 Roux street. Hull, is in a serious condition with a compound fracture of the left leg. Robert McPherson and Reginald Cooper are in hospital with minor injuries. The accident happened when double track [sic] car No. 44. driven by Motorman Presseau, ran into car No. 6, which was in charge of Motorman A. Tremblay. This car had stopped due to the trolley having come off the power wire. While putting the trolley back on he saw the other car racing up to him, and shouted, but apparently Presseau did not see the car ahead until so close that a collision was inevitable. Mr. G. Gordon Gale, vice-president and general manager of the H.E.R., stated that the collision was due to the lights being out in car No. 6. on account of its trolley being off the powers wire. The boys who were passengers on the car which ran into the rear of the stationary one belonged to a party of ten who made their way from Montreal here to caddie in the Canadian amateur golf championship, which has been under way at the Rivermead Golf Club. Brown left his home on Tuesday last, while the ten boys arrived in Ottawa in two parties, one on Wednesday and the other on Thursday. Their arrival at the Rivermead Club created a problem for the directors to secure sleeping accommodation for them. The first night they were given a room in the club house and afterwards a tent was provided for them to sleep in. On Sunday night, when the accident happened, eight cf the boys were passengers on one of the cars. They had been to Luna Park for the evening and were returning to the club for the night when the smash occurred. These boys, who were on the car are Jack Muirhead, 140 College avenue, St. Henri., Que.; Thomas Geralds, Lachine; Reginald Cooper, Lachine; Arthur Wilson; Irwin Ellis, 41 Thirty Fourth street, Lachine; Andrew McPherson, and Robert McPherson, both of 211A Ninth avenue, Lachine. Robert McPherson and Reginald Cooper are the only two of the boys who are still in the hospital. Mc Pherson has one of the toes of his left foot crushed, while Cooper has a deep cut on the side of his head which required two stitches. Andrew McPherson, who was taken to the hospital following the accident, was back yesterday at the Golf Club. He received a cut over the left eye. The other boys all received minor cuts and bruises, but were able to caddie yesterday. It was reported last night at the hospital that Motorman Presseau, who received a compound fracture of the left leg, was suffering considerable pain. Brown died at an early hour Monday. The body of young Brown was removed to the Gauthier and Company undertaking parlor, where it was viewed by Coroner T. J. Scoble, who opened an inquest last evening. At the session the remains were identified by E. Coughlin and R. Cole, of Montreal, both friends of the deceased boy's family. Coroner Scobie then adjourned the taking of evidence until the evening of Tuesday, September 15, when the inquest will be resumed at the Ottawa, police station. - - - Ottawa Citizen  16 September 1925 LONG ADJOURNMENT INQUEST NECESSARY Inquiry into Aylmer Line Deaths Waits Recovery of Motorman. After hearing over half a dozen witnesses, several of whom were participants in the fatal motor car smash which occurred on the Hull Electric Railway line, near the Rivermead Golf Club, on the night of September 6. the coroner's jury inquiring into the death of James Brown, aged 16 years, of Stony Point, Que., last night adjourned the inquiry until November 18. The long adjournment was necessitated through injuries sustained by Domonic Presseau. motorman 30, Roux street, Hull, who was in charge of car No. 44, the front end of which telescoped the rear of car No. 6. in charge of Ernest Raymond, which had come to a standstill on the line from Hull to Deschenes after the trolley had come oft the wire. Both cars were of the one-man type. Presseau is still confined to the hospital suffering from a compound fracture of his left leg. Dr. P. B. Belanger. 41 Spruce street, who attended Brown, told of his death in a local hospital a short time after he had been admitted to the institution. The f doctor said Brown had died from shock and loss of blood occasioned by his right leg being torn off a short distance below the knee. He had been a passenger on car No. 44, on which other caddies from Lachine were returning to the Rivermead Golf Club. Reginald Cooper, aged 17 years, of 446 Notre Dame street, Quebec, testified Brown was seated about the middle of the car when the smash came, and had been thrown toward the front end of it. Bid Not Hear Brakes. Andrew McPherson, 221A Ninth avenue, Lachine, had been sitting at the back of the car. He testified he had not noticed any light on the car ahead, which was the one telescoped by the car on which he was riding. He had not known there was a car stopped on the track ahead and bid not heard the emergency brakes being applied on car No. 44 prior to the accident. Presseau, he said, had been crushed by the controller, and Brown was found lying near the front of the car. Robert McPherson. also of Lachine, gave similar evidence. Jack Muirhead, 140 College, avenue. St. Henri, Montreal and Aldege Bellehumeur, 14 Helena street, Hull, also told of their experiences as passengers. Trolley Came Off. Ernest Raymond, motorman on car No. 6, said he had left Ottawa at 10.38 p.m. to proceed to Deschenes barns to put his car away for the night. When near the Rivermead Golf Club he said his trolley had come oft and he had gone back through his car, which was carrying no passengers, to try and put the trolley on the wire. He testified this could be effected through a window at the rear of the car. While attempting to get the trolley on the wire he said he had seen car No. 44 about 900 or 1,000 feet away. He said he was afraid he would be caught if a collision occurred and left his car and ran back about 30 feet in an attempt to warn the motorman on car No. 44 that his car was ahead on the track. In this he was not successful and the two cars crashed. He testified positively that he had had his red lamp lighted and in its proper place at the right hand corner of the back of his car when the smash occurred. Car No. 44. he said, was running between 10 and 15 miles per hour when it had hit his car. He did not hear any emergency brakes being applied. He had escaped from his car by a window as the other car came down on him. The inquest was watched by Mr. B. Claxton on behalf of the Brown family, while Messrs. A. S. Bourinot and Mr. H. H. Hough represented the Hull Electric Railway Co. Mr.. J. A. Ritchie. K.C., conducted the examination of witnessei, Dr. T. J. Scobie presided.

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Updated 13 November 2020