by: Ray Gompf
In the early hours of August 23, 2021 there was an horrific wreck on the 417 East bound near Panmure Road in the extreme west end of Ottawa. Two people lost their lives.
The details, although the wreck is still being investigated, happened when a pick up truck, pulling a utility trailer, stopped in the middle of the right hand live lane. The occupants got out of the pick up and were standing between the truck and trailer when a large tractor trailer struck the small trailer at full highway speed, immediately killing the two pedestrians who were outside. Had they stayed in the pickup and still been struck, they would probably still be alive; injured, no doubt, but alive.
News reports noted the large tractor trailer driver was uninjured. The truck driver may not have been physically injured but that doesn’t mean he’s uninjured. I maintain not a single human being involved in a fatal wreck can possibly be uninjured. Personal experience and the experiences shared by my trucking peers lead me to think that anyone involved in a fatal wreck must be considered injured and treatment must be provided until that uninjured driver deals with the mental trauma. That mental trauma is always significant.
The news report stated the trucking company did not respond to a request for an interview. That in itself should tell you the driver is not uninjured, he’s simply not bleeding. The mental health of our nations truck drivers, all 400,000 of them need to be able to resolve those issues that arise during the course of their daily duties. Even witnessing a wreck, fatal or otherwise, can cause mental stresses that few understand.
This is Ray and this is my opinion.
