Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1959, October 2 - Crossing Accident at Haleys, CPR Chalk River sub., one fatality, two injured

Ottawa Citizen 3 October 1959 Train-Car Crash Calumet Island Woman Level Crossing Victim RENFREW (Special) A 52-year-old woman died In Victoria Hospital here late yesterday afternoon a little more than an hour after the car in which she was a passenger was struck by a train at Haleys Station, nine miles west of here. Mrs. Rosa Rement of Calumet Island, was pronounced dead by Coroner Dr. L. J. Mulvihill about 5.30 p.m. Two other occupants of the car, Mr. and Mrs. August Lemay, are in Victoria Hospital. Mr. Lemay, 58, believed to be driver of the car, is being treated for internal and head injuries and his condition is described as serious. His 51-year-old wife is being treated for severe shock. Police said the trio were travelling south on the Portage du Fort road when their car was struck at a level crossing at Haleys Station, about 50 yards from Highway 17, by CPR Daylinerr Number 260 travelling from Chalk River to Ottawa. The accident occurred at 4 p.m. The car was hurled 60 feet by the impact and rolled over, coming to rest on its roof. The vehicle had to be turned over to remove the occupants. The injured were brought to hospital here by McPhail and Perkins Ambulance and were treated by Dr. G. B. Burwell and Dr. Douglas Guest. Mrs. Rement's body was taken to the W. J. Hayes Funeral Home in Shawville. Conductor of the train was Ewen Kerr of Smiths Falls and the engineer was Kenneth Cope of Ottawa. Investigation is continuing under Renfrew OPP Constable George Widdows. Ottawa Citizen 21 October 1959 Man Charged After Death At Crossing RENFREW (Specia1) - A charge of careless driving is to be laid against August Lemay, 58, of Calumet Island, Que., in connection with the train-car accident October 2 that took the life of a Calumet Island woman, Mrs. .Rose Emond, 58. Coroner's jury, ruled Monday night that the accident was caused "by an error in judgment on the part of the automobile driver." Lemay was the driver of the auto that was struck at the level crossing at the Portage Du Fort Road at Haley by a CPR dayliner. Lemay told the inquest he had seen the train coming as he approached the crossing but thought he could get across safely. He said, "When I went to give the car gas it had no power, and stalled on the tracks."

Return to Main Page of Railway Accidents

Updated 9 January 2020