Crash on Portage Avenue topples light standard, reroutes traffic

Police say there were no injuries after a dramatic Wednesday afternoon crash on Portage Avenue, in which a vehicle crossed the centre median near Young Street, toppled a light standard and slammed into a parked car.

Winnipeg police say they got a report of the incident at 12:34 p.m., and several units were sent to the scene.

A CBC producer who witnessed the crash said a sedan was travelling eastbound on Portage Avenue when it crossed the centre median near Young Street. That's when the sedan crashed into a concrete planter with such force that the planter bounced into the westbound lanes and rolled over.

The sedan continued at high speed toward oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes and narrowly missed a parked car — with a passenger inside — in a loading zone in front of the CBC building. 

The sedan turned sharply and crashed into the light standard in the median at the intersection of Portage and St. Mary Avenue, toppling it.

The sedan continued toward oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes, then sharply turned again to cross back into the eastbound lanes, where it slammed into a parked car in front of a restaurant on the south side of Portage Avenue.

Eastbound traffic on Portage Avenue at St. Mary was being rerouted, police said early Wednesday afternoon.