Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1959, May 13 - Crossing Accident Smyth Road, CPR., Sussex Street sub., no injuries

From the Ottawa Citizen  13 May 1959. 15 Train Cars Hit Automobile Trapped On Rails The city's toll of train-car collisions at unprotected level crossings went up another notch today at the Smyth Road CPR crossing. Robert Poaps, 28, of 932 Chapman Boulevard, escaped unhurt from the crash at 8.30 a.m. which peeled away the front of his auto, while he sat inside, unable to get out. The car was spun sideways by the engine and wedged in a ditch as each of the 15 cars on the Toronto to Ottawa pool train chipped away at the front of the car in passing. Poaps told Constables Harold Collins and Lester Thompson he did not see the train until he was almost on the tracks. He jammed the car in reverse but did not get away in time. Poaps' car was southbound on Smyth Road from where view of the tracks for castbound trains is blocked off until two car lengths away. The Smyth Road crossing is one of three in the immediate area which have been under fire from residents in the Billings Bridge and Alta Vista area as dangerous because of their lack of protection from wigwag signals.

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Updated 4 January 2020