Ontario Provincial Police have reported that four adults and six children were injured in a head-on collision near Stratford on July 20. Police are still investigating the crash, which happened on Perth Road 113, or Embro Road, in the evening.
A preliminary investigation found that a woman driving a Pontiac Grand Am was heading south when she travelled into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a northbound Chevrolet minivan.
There were two adults and one child in the Pontiac; the van had two adults and five children inside. The child from the Pontiac and an adult from the van suffered major injuries. A pair of air ambulances arrived and flew them to London for hospital treatment.
The other eight people involved in the accident were transported to local hospitals. However, Stratford General Hospital staff realised that three children and two adults needed to be transferred to London overnight. The three remaining injured stayed at St. Marys and Stratford in unknown condition.
The 42-year-old West Perth woman who was driving the Pontiac has been charged with impaired driving resulting in injury, dangerous operation of a vehicle resulting in injury and failure to submit to a breath test. Her licence was also suspended for 90 days.
Impaired driving is only one of several common causes of car accidents; distracted driving and speeding could also factor in, but all three causes constitute negligence. People injured in such accidents that are not their fault could recover the cost of the damages. The Family Law Act has provisions for victims to recover out-of-pocket expenses and the loss of income. The families of the victims could also be entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses and the loss of companionship, care and guidance while the victims were recovering.