Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1986, October 11 - Crossing collision, Morrisburg, CNR., Kingston sub., no injuries

Ottawa Citizen 14 Octobery 1986 Women unhurt as train slices front off car Trapped between two railroad barriers with a train, its whistle screaming, bearing down on her car at about 150 kilometres an hour, May Serviss had just seconds to save herself and her two passengers. The 68-year-old slammed the car into reverse and didn't even have time to scream as the speeding VIA Rail passenger train shaved off the bumper, lights and grille of her 1985 Dodge Aries. "It didn't even jar us, it just sliced the front of the car right off and kept going," said Serviss. "I guess my time hadn't come." Serviss and her elderly passengers, Nellie Stillson of Ingleside and Agnes Casselman of Dixons Corners, were headed north on Brinston Road about 90 kilometres east of Ottawa when the accident occurred at 5:20 p.m. Saturday. The three were returning from Iroquois where they had gone to see an apartment in a seniors' residence where Casselman soon will be moving. Serviss said she slowed at the crossing because it was rough and because she didn't trust that section of the tracks. She said she saw no flashing signals before the gate suddenly dropped. "The first thing I saw was the gate coming down and the first thing I heard was the train whistle." Although uninjured, the three were too shocked to talk and felt so weak they could hardly stand, said Serviss Morrisburg OPP Cpl. Eric Rid-dell estimated about $1,000 damage was done to the train.

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Updated 7 July 2020