Emergency crews work for an hour to free woman before airlifting her to hospital
A woman was extricated from a pickup truck Sunday morning after it collided with a Guelph Transit bus.
The accident occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at the corner of Wyndham Street South and Farquhar Street, across from the Armory.
The bus came to rest on top of the truck. It took about an hour for Guelph Police, Guelph Fire and Guelph-Wellington paramedics to extricate the woman from the vehicle. She was subsequently airlifted from the scene.
John Woods said he was the only passenger on the bus. He and the bus driver were OK, he said, although shaken from the experience.
Woods said the bus was northbound on Wyndham Street and the truck was travelling east on Farquhar when it barrelled through the intersection. Farquhar is a one-way street that heads west.
“The bus driver didn’t have a chance to stop,” Woods said. “The truck cut in front of the bus and that was it. I crouched down behind the seat and hoped for the best. I was lucky to walk away from it.”
Woods said he had a minor cut to his knee and shaky nerves but otherwise was in good health. He said he thought the bus driver was all right too, although the windshield of the bus was broken.
Woods said police and fire services were on the scene quickly and he was told to remain on the bus and stay still. Eventually he was directed to exit by the back door of the bus.
The bus and truck were both braced and a tow truck was able to lift the front of the bus. Then emergency crews worked at removing the woman from the truck. They cut off the driver’s side door and after about an hour, were able to get the woman out.
An Ornge air ambulance landed just north of the covered bridge in the York Road Park and she was airlifted to hospital.
There was no word on the woman’s condition at press time and police could not offer more detail on their investigation until it was complete. Wyndham Street South between Carden and Wellington streets were closed during the day as police conducted their investigation into the accident.
Source: Guelph Mercury