Ottawa Via Rail Train, Bus Collision: Witnesses Describe

Ottawa Via Rail Train, Bus Collision: Witnesses Describe
Tara MacIsaac
9/18/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

Gregory Mech was on the top level of the double-decker bus that crashed into a Via Rail train in Ottawa Wednesday morning. He told CBC News people were yelling out for the bus to stop.

He said the bus hit the train. After the initial collision, left-to-right shaking caused some people to hit their heads on the windows. He could see bodies on the train track. 

Darryl Praill, a witness who tweeted a photo of the crash, wrote as a caption “It ain’t good. People definitely injured or worse.”

Mech said there had been talks in the past of building a bridge at the train crossing, but the plan was scrapped because the ground was too soft. He wondered if city buses should stop at crossings the way school buses do. 

Rob Gencarelli was near the back of the train. He told reporters he felt a bump, saw smoke, and the train went off the tracks. He said people were shocked because it happened so suddenly. 

Ottawa, Canada: Train Collides With Bus, 5 Dead (+Photo)