A serious collision between a car and horse-drawn buggy near Hawkesville on the evening of Oct. 17 sent four people to the hospital, three with life-threatening injuries.
The collision occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Kressler Road when a four-door sedan travelling northbound hit the back of a buggy travelling the same direction. A four-year-old-boy and two-year-old girl riding in the back of the buggy were airlifted to hospital in Hamilton.
The children’s parents were taken to Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, the mother with life-threatening injuries.
The buggy was badly mangled, and the silver Chevrolet Impala suffered major damage.
The driver of the car, a 19-year-old Listowel man, was not injured, but was being held by police until further information could be acquired. He was been charged with two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing harm.
“The driver is being detained in regards to the investigation. We are comfortable that alcohol is not a factor,” said Waterloo Regional Police Sgt. Fred Gregory.
The accident scene is less than half a kilometre from the intersection Hawkesville and Kressler roads, where at least four people have died in crashes since 2006, but Gregory said that there was no relation between the two.
As far as police know, there were no witnesses to the crash, and reconstruction and forensic teams were expected to remain on the scene most of the night as they tried to determine the cause. Police are still investigating and asking anyone to call 650-8500, ext. 8856.
