Scooter driver killed in West Hunt Club Road crash
CBC News | Posted: June 24, 2019 11:40 AM | Last Updated: June 24, 2019
Man in his 50s pronounced dead at scene after collision with SUV
A man in his 50s was killed Monday morning when his motorized scooter collided with an SUV on West Hunt Club Road near Merivale Road.
The collision occurred around 6:45 a.m. when the westbound SUV struck the red motorized scooter near the entrance to the Nepean Crossroads Centre shopping complex, Ottawa police said. Police at the scene didn't know in which direction the scooter was travelling, or whether it was in the bike lane at the time of the collision.
The scooter driver became trapped under the SUV, and several bystanders rushed to help.
Chris Neves, 29, was working at a nearby Starbucks when he noticed a distraught woman pacing and staring at an overturned moped. Neves says he went out to try to calm the woman.
That's when he noticed the unconscious scooter driver trapped underneath the SUV.
"I went underneath [the SUV] and went, 'Oh my God.' Your mind goes on a blank and adrenaline kicks in." Neves said.
Neves said he and another man tried to lift the black Jeep off the man. They were soon joined by two firefighters — one volunteer and one off-duty — but they were unable to move the vehicle.
More firefighters arrived to help free the man, then paramedics took over. Neves said he watched as paramedics tried to revive the victim for more than 15 minutes.
Multi-system trauma
Ottawa paramedics said the patient suffered multi-system trauma and was in cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have spoken to the driver of the SUV as well as several witnesses. Investigators are reconstructing the collision with the help of traffic cameras and drone footage. Police are also collecting surveillance video from nearby businesses.
Police say e-bikes and scooters are expected to use bike lanes. There are painted bike lanes on both sides of West Hunt Club Road near Merivale Road.
Police are in the process of notifying next of kin and haven't yet released the name of the victim in Monday's crash.
In October 2013 cyclist Mario Theoret was killed in the same area while riding to work.