Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1983, October 7 - Crossing collision, Pembroke, CPR., Chalk River sub., 6 minor injuries

Ottawa Citizen 8 October 1983 5 hurt in Pembroke train-truck collision Five VIA train passengers received minor injuries Friday afternoon when a tractor-trailer slammed into a passenger car at a city crossing in Pembroke. The injured were treated for minor cuts and bruises at Pembroke General Hospital and were able to continue the journey by bus. The incident caused a four hour delay for the 55 travellers on the train. "My father said he saw the truck heading for the train and he threw my mother to the floor and ducked. He says the next thing he knew there was a truck in the train," said Ken Seward, whose family was travelling on the train. They were among the injured. A Pembroke police spokesman said the train, travelling from Ottawa to Sudbury, was hit as it crossed the Hwy. 17 intersection near the city's main commercial area. The incident is under investigation and police are uncertain about the cause of the accident. The truck driver, Eddie Weisenberg, of Pembroke, was treated for minor cuts and relased. VIA officials, however, said the train conductor was not at fault. "The train always has the right of way." said VIA spokesman Daniel Rossel. "The car always has to stop. It's much harder to stop a train. "What happens quite often is that cars try to beat the train and sometimes they get hit. "It's too early to tell how much damage was actually done to the track and the crossing, but the train is in very bad shape." Police said there was also extensive damage to the transport. Rossel said service between Ottawa and Sudbury will be continued by bus while repairs are completed. He said everything should be back to normal by Sunday, or "Monday at the latest." The driver of the truck received an award during the summer celebrating 25 years of safe driving for Taggart's Service Ltd. Ottawa Citizen 11 October 1983 Charge laid in collision A Pembroke man, Eddie Weisenberg, has been charged with disobeying a railroad crossing sign after driving his tractor-trailer into a VIA train Friday afternoon. - Police said the train, travelling from Ottawa to Sudbury and carrying 55 passengers, was hit as it crossed Hwy. 17 in Pembroke. Five passengers and the truck driver suffered minor cuts and bruises, and were treated at Pembroke General Hospital. The train passengers then continued their journey to Sudbury by bus. There was extensive damage to both the train and the truck, police said. The tracks also were damaged, and service was continued by bus while repairs were completed. VIA officials said train service was back to normal on Monday.

Return to Main Page of Railway Accidents

Updated 24 June 2020