EGMOND o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2007-09-12 published
Crash kills London mother, daughter
Their car hit a median on Highway 401 and was struck by a transport
truck.
By Randy RICHMOND, Sun Media, Wed., September 12, 2007
Grim scene: The driver of this transport truck died yesterday
morning when he rear-ended a tractor trailer on Highway 401 near
Colonel Talbot Road that had slowed for a police roadblock to
divert traffic around an earlier fatal accident. (Derek
RUTTAN
Sun Media)
A London mother and daughter dedicated to helping victims of
self abuse were killed yesterday in a Highway 401 crash that
led to the death of a third driver hours later.
B.J. THOM, 52, also known as Elizabeth, and her daughter, Ashley
GARROD, 22, were killed after their car hit the median in the
east lanes of Highway 401 between Colonel Talbot Road and Wellington
Road, spun out of control and was hit by a transport truck during
heavy rain about 4 a.m., police said.
The driver of the tractor-trailer faces several charges, including
leaving the scene of an accident causing death.
A second crash occurred just before 11 a.m. at the roadblock
where police were diverting traffic from Highway 401 to Colonel
Talbot Road.
A transport truck slowed down at the roadblock and a second truck
slammed into it, killing the driver of the second truck.
Killed in the second crash was Timothy
McDERMOTT, 50, of South
Woodslee, Essex County.
The three deaths bring to nine the total killed on area roads
the last 11 days and the carnage is exasperating police, said
Const. Doug
GRAHAM of Middlesex Ontario Provincial Police.
"Every accident on Highway 401 and 402 in the past few days was
preventable. We are very concerned about all these deaths," he
said.
Some drivers aren't getting the message to slow down in bad weather
or at night, to leave room between vehicles and to wear seatbelts,
GRAHAM said.
"That is is what is so disturbing."
Friends of
THOM and
GARROD expressed horror yesterday at the
news the pair had died.
THOM and
GARROD ran Self Abuse Finally Ends in Canada, a London-based
group that helps people who hurt themselves.
THOM had successfully fought self abuse, said Trix
VAN
EGMOND,
mental health public educator with the Canadian Mental Health
Association of London- Middlesex.
"She gave help back and she did it in a personalized way. She
was very funny and irreverent, I think, from going to hell and
back herself."
GARROD was driving the car when the crash occurred, Ontario Provincial
Police said.
Police learned of the accident from a motorist who noticed headlights
from a vehicle in the south ditch along the east lanes.
Officers arrived to find the two women dead and the car "extensively
damaged," GRAHAM said.
They also found a headlight at the scene.
"From the impact and from the evidence left at the scene we were
able to determine it was a tractor-trailer we were looking for,"
GRAHAM said.
It appears the car hit the median and spun enough that the truck
hit the passenger side,
GRAHAM said.
Police searched area truck stops for a damaged tractor- trailer
missing a headlight. They found a truck parked at the back of
the Flying J truck stop south off Highway 401 near Highbury Avenue
about two hours later,
GRAHAM said.
The driver was inside the truck, he added, and at first refused
to leave the cab, .
"He made no effort to contact police or return to the scene,"
GRAHAM said.
Stefan FOGIEL, 61, of Acton, has been charged with two counts
of failing to remain at the scene of an accident causing death,
resisting arrest, failing to maintain log books and failing to
have a pre-trip inspection, Ontario Provincial Police said.
FOGIEL made a brief court appearance before Justice of the Peace
Patricia HODGINS yesterday.
White-haired with glasses and wearing a white T-shirt with a
Bass
Beer logo,
FOGIEL told
HODGINS he wanted a Polish interpreter
for his court appearances.
Assistant
Crown attorney Brian
WHITE/WHYTE ordered
FOGIEL be kept in
custody. He is to make a video court appearance today.
The second crash yesterday occurred only minutes after police
had removed the London women's crumpled blue car from the scene
of the first incident.
"The lead transport truck was slowing down. The one behind slammed
into it. It was quite an impact,"
GRAHAM said.
The driver of the first transport, Harpreet
PANNU, 29, of Brampton,
suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
There was no reason for the collision,
GRAHAM said.
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