Accident claims 2 in Cornwall

Officers with the OPP reported that a motor vehicle accident claimed the lives of two men on Feb. 3. The accident reportedly occurred on Highway 401 around 6 a.m. in Cornwall.

Reportedly, a 54-year-old Cornwall man was driving east on the highway with a 22-year-old passenger from Quebec. His vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer being driven by a 47-year-old Brampton man. Emergency responders pronounced the 54-year-old man dead at the accident scene, while his 22-year-old passenger was transported via emergency vehicles to the hospital for treatment. He died at the hospital of his injuries. The 47-year-old truck driver was also sent to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Police have not released information about the cause of the accident or which direction the tractor-trailer was driving at the time of the accident. Although they did not indicate the road conditions, area residents claimed that the road needs to be sanded and the current contractor hired to do the job is not doing well. Residents point to the fact that the road is obviously better cared-for after it crosses into Quebec. The contractor, High Road Maintenance, won a 12-year contract for $8.9 million. The previous contractor for road maintenance was TWD Road Maintenance, but they were outbid. The MTO said they will investigate, and the OPP is continuing its own investigation into the cause of the accident.

When people are seriously injured or killed in car accidents, the victims may be able to hold negligent parties civilly liable by filing civil lawsuits. Determining fault in cases such as this one may be difficult and could require investigation. In the event the contracting company was found to be negligent in failing to properly maintain the roads, the company may be held liable for the injuries and deaths involved.

Source:standard-freeholder.com, “Updated – Two dead in morning crash on Hwy. 401 in Cornwall,” Feb. 3, 2015