CP derailment

[Matthyro]

A CP freight was approaching a bridge in Whitby just east of Toronto when some cars derailed. A container fell off down onto an underpass and flattened a vehicle carrying two females. A niece and her aunt. They probably had no idea what hit them.
The family are waiting to hear from CP and court action is in the works.

 

[MasonJar]

I wonder if that is the bridge over the 401? That is Chris' (interurben's) territory out there...

Any additional info?

Andrew

 

[60103]

The bridge was over Garden Ave which is the next main road east of Brock St. The CPR line doesn't cross the 401 until it gets east of Oshawa, someplace. The previous bridge was over Hwy 2 (Dundas St.) The following bridge would have been Brock St (ex Hwy 12) and then the underpass at Cochrane. That would have put it just a few blocks south of my sister's house.
The paper today showed a diagram that I interpreted as showing the derailed cars as being two 5-packs. I haven't seen any pictures that actually show the cars -- whether they came off onto the road or just the containers.
There was some criticism of CPR for not contacting the family soon enough. CPR said that they learned who the victims were on the news -- police didn't tell them.

 

[interurban]

The local pape shows at least 3 box cars strewn across Garden street They may be containers.
The van was compleatly "gone' witness said just the front wheels were showing
How very sad

 

[uacturbo]

A few notes on the accident..

1. CP Police were privy to the names of the deceased. Whether or not management was provide the info is a different story.
2. They were in an Olds Alero, not a van.
3. CP and Durham Regional Police - at the same press conference - maintained the families didn't want names of the deceased released. So, they're claiming they didn't know????
4. Next day, all the papers and TV had interviewed family.
5. The bridge is about six years old. It banks slightly downward toward the south side as it curves through, the same side the containers of paper toppled off onto Garden St.