Cop mounts bus rescue

Published: March 13, 2007 | 5779th good news item since 2003

A quick-thinking OPP constable helped dozens of passengers trapped in a burning bus reach safety yesterday after a massive chain-reaction crash during whiteout conditions on Hwy. 400.

Const. Dave Woodford was one of the first on the scene of the accident involving up to 75 vehicles near Bradford.Along with Jamie Kolarski of the York Regional Police, Woodford used his baton to force open a window and climb into the burning bus to help the 57 mostly Asian passengers escape.

The driver of the bus, which was heading to Casino Rama, was seriously injured.

The driver of a propane tanker was fighting for his life in critical condition last night in Sunnybrook hospital after his fully loaded rig slammed into the back of another truck around 2 p.m., tying up both sides of the highway.

It took almost three hours for emergency workers to remove the driver from his vehicle.

“It’s definitely life-threatening,” OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said of his condition. “But he was conscious and talking to rescuers.”

The tanker driver was taken to South Lake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket before being moved to Sunnybrook.

About 40-45 people suffered minor injuries in the chain-reaction crash and were taken to South Lake by school bus. “Some vehicles were severely damaged,” Woolley said. “I’m surprised it wasn’t even worse.”

All northbound lanes of the 400 were closed last night, but one southbound lane did re-open around 6 p.m.

Drivers had been urged to stay off the roads north of the GTA yesterday due to high winds and blowing snow.

OPP Sgt. Jack Goobie said the severe winds made visibility extremely poor and caused major drifting in some areas, closing dozens of roads and stretches of highway.

Published in Cops and Rescues
See also: torontosun.com