Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1927, May 19 - Crossing collision Rigaud, CPR., Montreal and Ottawa sub., one fatality, one injured

Montreal Gazette 20 May 1927 One killed one injured as train hit motor truck Merchants were caught on level crossing near the Rigaud station Hurled Sixty Yards Driver of truck, brought to Montreal by Ottawa train, reported in critical condition Motortruck wrecked. The locomotive, slowing down to stop at the station, hit the truck in the middle. The vehicle was smashed to bits and the occupants were hurled to one side. Legault, struck on the temple, was picked up dead, but Therien, who was still living, was given the last rites of the church by a priest before being taken on to the train. Dr. Omer Faubert, of  Rigaud was called and accompanied the injured man to Montreal. Engineer Pumple reported that he was unaware that any vehicle was making the crossing until he felt the shock of the collision. Coroner McMahon will hold an inquest today at  Rigaud. Ovila Legault, 60-year-old merchant of Ste. Justine de Newton, was instantly killed at 8.30 o'clock last night when a C.P.R. train struck and autotruck on a level crossing near  Rigaud station. The driver of the truck, Adrien Therrien, aged 40, a butter and egg merchant of Ste. Justine, suffered fractured hips and internal injuries. The impact of the collision hurled the victims sixty yards. Therrien was placed on board the train, bound from Ottawa to Montreal, and on arrival here was removed to the Notre Dame Hospital where his condition is reported critical. Yesterday, Therrien, to whom the truck belonged, went with Legault to Pointe Fortune to buy butter. He was passing through Rigaud on his way home when the accident occurred. On both west corners of the railroad crossing there are buildings blocking view of the tracks, and although there is an automatic alarm bell, which was reported to have been ringing at the time of the accident, it is believed that Therrien, unaware of the times of the trains out of  Rigaud, and possibly not hearing the alarm bell above the noise of his own motor, drove to cross the tracks without knowing that there was any danger. Also in La patrie, 20 mai 1927, p.3

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Updated 5 May 2021