Bus Carrying Seniors And Children Rear Ended By Truck On Highway 401
Posted March 5, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was supposed to be a pleasure outing. It didn’t end that way. Only one of the eastbound 401 express lanes was open during the afternoon rush after a truck rear ended a bus on the busy highway.
The accident, which happened just west of the 400 around 3:30pm, left some of the 53 seniors and children onboard suffering various complaints.
The passengers were coming back from watching a theatrical performance of “Beauty and the Beast” in Mississauga and were heading home to Barrie when the truck suddenly plowed into the back of the vehicle.
Ten people were slightly hurt, although most of the injuries were minor. Another bus was brought to the scene to act as a triage on wheels, allowing paramedics to assess who might need more attention in hospital. Five were eventually transported.
The truck driver wasn’t hurt but has since been charged with careless driving.
It’s not clear why it happened, but weather doesn’t appear to be a factor – the remnants of the snow were long gone from the highway.
Witnesses say the bus suddenly slowed down and the truck plowed into it. “They were travelling at a slow speed,” confirms OPP Cst. Peter Fraunberger. “For some unknown reason, the driver had to stop abruptly.”
Officials from the company are also looking into what caused it. “From what we understand, a truck came in front of the bus,” outlines Stan Sinton of Sinton Transportation. “The bus braked for the truck and the transport hit from behind – but that’s unconfirmed.”
The accident had an immediate effect on traffic, which was already building for the afternoon rush. Police were originally planning to bring in a tow truck to clear the scene but those plans were delayed once it became clear some of the injuries were worse than first thought.
Traffic remained slow, but by about 6:30pm, the roadway was finally cleared and the rest of the passengers continued on their way up north.
