Family calls for changes to 'dead man's curve' after son killed in crash

When Mario Barlow said goodbye to his son and business partner on the morning of June 3, he didn't know it would be for the final time. 

"He just left to go home and come right back," Barlow said. "And I never saw him again. I don't know how to describe it."

Just before noon that day, Neil Barlow was struck by a pickup truck near the intersection of Cartwright and Victoria streets in rural south Ottawa.

He later died in hospital.

Based on his conversations with police, Mario Barlow said the pickup truck was headed northeast, away from the community of Metcalfe, and wanted to turn onto Cartwright — which meant cutting across Neil's lane. 

Instead, the two vehicles collided, leaving the 37-year-old's T-boned car overturned at the side of the road.   

The fatal crash now has the Barlow family calling for changes to the busy intersection on the far end of town — and perhaps even closing Cartwright Street altogether.

'The perfect son'

Barlow said his son's car rolled twice before coming to rest. Photos show one side of the vehicle crumpled from the impact.

A memorial to his son has been erected at the intersection: flowers and a white cross decorated with a framed photo of Neil.

"[It's hard] to find the words to define the perfect son," the father said, letting out a sigh over the phone. "He was kind, very polite. He loved, absolutely loved his kids."

One of Neil Barlow's three daughters, 12-year-old Bella, was in the car at the time, as well as a newly purchased puppy.

His daughter was rushed to CHEO with head injuries and is now out of hospital in stable condition. The dog later died at a veterinary hospital. 

"I want that road closed," said Christine Barlow, Neil's mother. "So people don't have to cut across the curve, to even attempt to take that small road."

'Dead man's curve'

While in a rural area, Victoria Street connects several major population centres, and that attracts traffic.

Michael Bond drove past the intersection shortly after the crash and said he's heard the crossroads referred to as "dead man's curve" by local firefighters.

"I am not aware of any deaths at that intersection," he said. "But as a regular user, I can tell you that I had a couple of close calls. And that's for somebody that's familiar with the intersection."

According to the Metcalfe man, it's unlikely the roads could be heavily modified, as they're surrounded by privately owned farmland on all sides.

The speed limit on Victoria Street is also 80 km/h,  he said, meaning motorists would need to come to a dead stop in order to make that turn safely.

Following the crash, some, like Bond, have looked to Osgoode Coun. George Darouze for guidance on what to do about the streets. 

Another intersection in the councillor's ward, at Dalmeny and Gordon Murdock roads, was the site of a "life-altering" crash in 2019, when a transport truck struck a motorcyclist. While it was scheduled for changes before the crash, they were called off because of resistance from the community.

After the crash, however, large yellow warning signs were erected, alerting drivers about the dangerous road configuration. The corner has also been redesigned, eliminating the need to cross over the yellow lines. 

"It took a motorcyclist's death, at the least, to have that other intersection changed," Bond said. "And so I wanted to reach out and find out what his thoughts were about having the one in Victoria changed."

On Wednesday, Darouze said the collision at Victoria and Cartwright streets was still under investigation.  

"As you are likely aware a fatal collision review committee (comprised of police, coroner and transportation staff) will be meeting to review this," Darouze wrote in an email.

"If there is something we can do to make it safer, staff and I will discuss this further."

Intersection under review

The intersection is also being looked at as part of the city's road safety action plan, which was approved in December 2019, according to the City of Ottawa.

Phil Landry, director of the city's traffic services, said in an email that the city will be examining the intersection.

"This year, staff are preparing functional designs for this location, as well as 11 other intersections, to close the sweeping curve and modify the intersection to better accommodate turning movements," Landry said.

Since the crash, Mario Barlow has noticed Neil's daughters staring at their phones, looking at photos of their father and the beagle they had purchased.

"He was Santa Claus. He was the Easter Bunny. He did whatever the girls wanted," he said.

The city needs to take action about the intersection, Barlow added.

"The people around here should know what's going on. Something should be done before they lose a daughter or a son," he said. "You really don't want this to happen to anyone else. You really want to put a stop to it now."