Yesterday, a video from Toronto circulated on social media. It was scary to watch, as a dump truck pushed a Mini to the side for half a kilometer. But there were no details on the reason for the accident or who was involved. Today, we know more:
The driver of this Mini was fortunate to escape with minor injuries after being pushed more than half a kilometer down an access ramp and onto the Gardiner Expressway yesterday. The driver of the tipper was charged.#Be aware#Drive carefully pic.twitter.com/ZNuZSUgiTB
– Scott Matthews (@TPSTrafficDC) March 24, 2021
Courtenay Erhardt, 26, is a nurse who was taking her Mini to a coronavirus vaccination site to administer vaccines to homeless people. She says she was waiting at a traffic light before going up an onramp. “I was in front of him at that sign. We were both trying to get on the Gardiner (expressway), “she told the Toronto Star, which has a photo of Erhardt and a close-up of the Mini glued to Kenworth’s bumper.
“He hit me from behind when we were merging.”
“[The dump truck] it just kind of hit me in the back and, unfortunately, I went to the side and the truck continued up the ramp, “Erhardt told CTV News Toronto.
“I just remember holding my horn and steering wheel and just screaming. Just like screaming and screaming. I honestly didn’t know if my Mini was going to overturn or veer into oncoming traffic on the Gardiner,” she said.
“I just remember thinking, ‘Why isn’t he stopping? Why is he still going?'”
A couple in another car behind the truck saw smoke coming out of the truck and knew something was wrong, said Erhardt. They stopped beside her, saw what was going on, got in front of the truck and forced it to stop. They called 911 and helped Erhardt escape his car.
The truck driver, said Erhardt, emerged. “He said, ‘I didn’t see you’ and asked me not to call the police. He asked if he could pay for the damage. He was young. “
He was charged with several crimes, Toronto police said.
Police Sergeant Murray Campbell released a statement to CTV saying: “Operators of large vehicles do not have the benefit of such smaller / smaller vehicles, in their ability to see through windows in all directions”, which implies that the driver of the truck couldn’t see the small car under its hood. Campbell advised drivers to make sure that they can see truck drivers so that drivers can see them.
Which is good advice. That said, this truck driver certainly felt that something was wrong – and he heard the sounds that we can hear in the video.
Erhardt, although terrified, was not hurt. She gives credit to the couple who helped her, along with the Mini Cooper.
“Honestly, I believe I’m here to do this interview because the Mini Coopers are well made. It’s completely destroyed and I think it was canceled, but it saved my life. My airbags don’t even go away,” said Erhardt. “It is incredible. I am very grateful.”
