Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1953, May 21 - Crossing Accident, Holland Avenue, CPR Carleton Place sub., no injuries

From the Ottawa Citizen Thursday May 21, 1953 Driver Has Close Call, Car Wrecked A rabbit foot rode with 39-year-old Walter E. Wittenberg, of 105 Merlvale Road, at noon yesterday when he escaped without a scratch in a train-car level-crossing crash on Holland Avenue at Scott Street. Wittenberg, Bureau of Statistics employe, was treated at Civic Hospital for shock and allowed to go home. His car, hit by a CPR passenger train, was almost a total wreck. Sergeant Fred O'Connor and Constable Leo Goyette reported that Wittenberg was southbound on Holland and was nearly over the crossing at Scott Street when his small English car was hit by the east-bound train. The Impact spun the car around, tossed it south of the railway crossing and smashed the entire rear end.. Passersby pulled the dazed Wittenberg out and took him to the Bureau of Statistics first aid station. He was later transferred to hospital by the Fire Department emergency car. He later told The Evening Citizen "I didn't see the train and I didn't hear it ... I must have had a rabbit foot In the car." The passenger train was slowing down for the Ottawa West station when the accident occurred.

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Updated 20 October 2019