Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1972, February 28 - an oil tank truck hits a train and bursts into flame at Carp, CNR Renfrew subdivision.  Three cars derailed, one killed

From the Ottawa Citizen 28 February 1972. The driver of an oil truck was killed today when his vehicle smashed into the side of a moving train and burst into flames on highway 17 just east of Carp. Three of five cars in the CNR freight train were derailed. The driver was enveloped in flames and perished in the truck which burned for more than an hour. The accident occurred at 10.15 a.m. Police and fireman found the remains of the driver's body after searching for an hour and a half. Nothing remained of the truck except a small potion of yellow cab.  Police said the vehicle belonged to the Shell Oil Company. A charred licence oplate was found in the wreckage.  Police believe it is from the truck. A witness told police it appeared the truck driver was going to attempt to cross the tracks before the train reached the crossing but changed his mind, slammed on the brakes, and skidded 200 feet in the side of the train. The impact sent three cars sprawling into the snow in flames.  The caboose remained on the tracks. Police said an unidentified railwayman who was inside the caboose when it was hit walked away uninjured.  No one on the train was hurt. Power lines were knocked down and a set of signal lights were torn out of the ground. Acrid grety smoke blanketed the accident scene as firemen tried to put out the flames in the train. The truck was swept about 20 feet off the road and into a small creek. Parts of the creek were afire from oil dumped into the water. Balance illegible. There is a picture with the caption Train burns in background while fire-gutted wreckage of oil tanker lies beside tracks at right. Ottawa Citizen 29 February 1972 Highway 17 to reopen when wreckage cleared. The Trans-Canada highway at Carp will reopen later today after crews finish clearing wreckage left Monday when a gasoline-loaded tanker truck rammed a train. The 10.10 a.m. accident, which occurred at a level crossing on Highway 17 just east of the village, claimed the life of truck driver Camille Brideau. The 32-year-old father of two lived at 50 Balsam St., Orleans. He was employed by Shell Canada Limited, owner of the truck and trailer he was operating. The vehicle was carrying 8.000 gallons of motor gasoline when the accident ocurred. Canadian National Railways officials said the line and the highway should be open by late afternoon. The impact of the accident derailed three cars of the five-car freight train, which was travelling along the CNR branch line to Barry's Bay and Whitney. Three rail cars afire The collision set fire to the three cars as they were knocked from the tracks. The highway did reopen for a few hours during the night, but was closed again at 7 a.m. while mobile cranes removed the three empty cars. Traffic had been rerouted along old Highway 17 after the accident. One witness told police it first appeared Mr. Brideau was going to attempt to cross the tracks before the train reached the crossing. But the trucker apparently changed his mind, slammed on the brakes and skidded 200 feet into the side of the moving train, said the witness. Mr. Brideau was thrown from the wrecked vehicle, which burst into flames upon impact. No one else was injured. The Ottawa Citizen 27 April 1972 Jury urges lights at crossings. A coroner's jury has recommended that signal lights be located at all level crossings on main highways to warn motorists in advance of approaching trains. The jury was sitting Wednesday at an inquest into the death of Joseph Brideau, whose fully loaded gasoline tanker collided with a CNR freight train on Feb. 28. Evidence had shown that the visibility is poor at the crossing on Highway 17 near Carp, and there are several distractions for drivers proceeding west on the highway. These, along with the position of the crossing at the bottom of a hill, were listed as contributing factors to the accident which derailed three of the railway cars and closed the highway for more than 24 hours. The engineer of the train, Irwin Currie, said the Shell Oil truck, loaded with 8,000 gallons of gasoline, hit the train after veering off the road and knocking over a signal post. "All hell broke loose' he said.  The truck exploded immediately, setting fire to the last three cars. The jury also recommended that a remote warniong light be placed 500 feet north of the Carp railway crossing.

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Updated 16 February 1972