One person was killed, and six others were injured, in a two-car accident in Ontario on Jan. 3. The accident occurred around 4:40 p.m. on Norwich Road in Norwich Township.
The crash happened when the driver of a car travelling in the westbound lane of Norwich Road lost control of the vehicle between Middletown Line and County Road 13. The car crossed the centre line of the road and entered the eastbound lane, striking an eastbound SUV head-on. The force of the impact sent the SUV into a roadside ditch.
The deceased victim, an 11-year-old Norwich Township girl, was unresponsive at the scene when a bystander attempted to resuscitate her. An emergency crew transported the girl to hospital where she later died. Four people from the SUV and two people from the car, including both drivers, suffered unspecified but non-life-threatening injuries in the accident. Paramedics took the six people to hospital.
Ontario Provincial Police’s Technical Traffic Investigation Team was investigating the accident at the time of reports but had not yet identified a cause or contributing factors. Environment Canada had issued a weather advisory for the area at the time of the crash, warning drivers about rain, freezing rain and snow.
While adverse weather conditions are out of drivers’ control, exercising caution during winter storms often makes a significant difference in their risk of becoming involved in a fatal car accident. Parents who lose children in car accidents may struggle to overcome their grief and often have difficulty returning to their routines. Some families affected by fatal car accidents seek compensation from negligent drivers for the financial and emotional costs of their loss.