Residents call for increased safety measures after multi-vehicle crash on Speedvale Avenue in Guelph
A woman involved in a car crash in Guelph last week is raising safety concerns about a stretch of Speedvale Avenue. The multi-vehicle collision at the corner of Speedvale Avenue and Metcalfe Street left her car considered a total write-off.
Brittany Howlett was picking up her son on Feb. 16 around 4:30 p.m. when it happened. The crash was captured on a home surveillance camera.
“It wasn’t enough time to honk or swerve or anything,” said Howlett. “It was really sudden.”
Howett said the road is long and straight without a lot of controlled intersections and needs some type of traffic calming measure to slow down drivers.
“People kind of just fly through, and it’s very tight and uncomfortable to drive on,” she said.
The footage shows Howlett’s car coming to a stop, then being hit first from the front and then from behind.
“The front airbag hit my nose. I have a nice little bruise here still, so my nose was bleeding. I have whiplash, but otherwise, I was really lucky,” Howlett said.
Guelph police said one person was taken to hospital with an arm injury, and a 36-year-old Rockwood man was charged with careless driving.
It was not immediately clear if speed was a possible factor.
RESIDENT EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT SPEEDING
Howlett is not the only one calling for more safety measures to be implemented in the area.
Natalie Gohl said she has lived near the intersection for the last 15 years and has seen plenty of accidents in that time.
“Often cars going too quickly or trying to turn, we’ve often asked about stop signs or lights or something, but it hasn’t happened yet,” Gohl said.
“We’ve easily seen people flying at least 80 [km/h], going down 90 [km/h] probably in the middle of the night. We can hear them,” she added.
Gohl raised concerns about the number of schools in the area and the mass amount of students who are crossing the roads in the mornings and afternoons.
“I walk my own kids to school,” she said. “It gets busy. I won’t let them cross anywhere near here.”
She added that the traffic lights residents want to be installed are not just for driver safety but for the safety of pedestrians.
CITY TO REVIEW ROADWAY
Officials with the City of Guelph said there will be a review of Speedvale Avenue, but said they need more information first.
“The city will definitely review Speedvale within the area,” said Paul Hutchison, traffic engineering supervisor with the City of Guelph. “We are still awaiting the collision report, so once we know more about what happened and what led to the collision, then we would be able to review it appropriately.”
Hutchison said Speedvale Avenue is an arterial roadway and that means the city typically would not implement a traffic calming measure.
Arterial roadways are used to move higher-density traffic through the city.
“We don’t implement traffic calming measures on arterial roadways, however, we can look at it under our community road safety, and things like speed radar boards can be implemented,” he said
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. teen with Canada's first human case of avian flu in critical condition, Dr. Bonnie Henry says
The teenager who is sick with the first-ever human case of avian influenza acquired in Canada is in hospital in critical condition, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in Trump administration
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration.
Here's why thieves may be stealing butter in Canada
The case of the missing butter remains a mystery, but some have ideas on what's behind the unusual crimes.
Former B.C. premier John Horgan dies at 65
Former B.C. premier John Horgan, a popular leader renowned for his affable personality and dedicated public service, has died
Alleged serial killer previously pled guilty to 2018 attack on Waterloo, Ont. bus
The woman accused of killing three people in three days in three Ontario cities also previously admitted to attacking strangers on buses in the Region of Waterloo.
Air Canada to add new routes to U.S., Europe and North Africa in summer 2025
Getting to destinations in the U.S., Europe and North Africa is about to get easier, as Air Canada announced it will be increasing flights to a number of new destinations this summer.
Body found in Montreal park identified as cryptocurrency influencer
The body of a man that was found in a park in the Ahunstic-Cartierville borough last month has been identified as cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi.
History in Halifax is slowly being wiped off the map: study
Saint Mary's University archeologist Jonathan Fowler is sounding an alarm with a new study. According to Fowler, the centuries-old architecture that adds to Halifax’s heritage and historic vibe is slowly being wiped away as the city grows.
2-year-old gorilla 'Eyare' dies unexpectedly at Calgary Zoo
A young gorilla at the Calgary Zoo has died. The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo announced a member of its western lowland gorilla troop passed away unexpectedly, in a news release Tuesday.