An investigation is underway into a horrific collision that left an elderly man dead after his mini-van struck the side of a freight train in Ramara Township on Wednesday.
Police said a westbound Toyota Sienna struck the side of a northbound train at a rail crossing along Monck Road between the 15th sideroad and Fairvalley Road at about 11 a.m.
“He was the lone occupant of the vehicle,” said OPP Acting Sgt. Jennifer Wilks.
A portion of Monck Road remained closed to traffic for several hours as OPP Technical Traffic Collision investigators attempted to piece together the cause of the crash.
“(The investigation into the cause) is still ongoing,” Wilks said.
The mangled van came to rest on a grassed strip of land adjacent to the tracks, the ground littered with parts of the vehicle that were torn free and scattered about during the crash.
According to police, an area resident performed CPR on the man until emergency personnel arrived at the scene.
The 83-year-old victim, Walter Shaver, of Wilberforce, Ont., was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died.
Frank Binder, a spokesperson for the Canadian National Railway yesterday reported that a set of flashing warning signals situated at the crossing were working at the time of the crash.
“They were activated,” he said in a telephone interview.
Binder said the mini-van crashed into a freight car located a short distance back from the engine.
“The vehicle struck several cars behind the front of the train ... it actually hit one of the rail trains, (which) did sustain some minor damage,” he added.
CN Police are conducting an investigation into the collision in cooperation with the OPP, he said.
Binder said he was unaware of whether the local rail crossing had been the site of collisions in the past.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will also be conducting an investigation into the crash.
The federal agency investigates all accidents involving federally-regulated modes of transportation.
It does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability
