Deadly Ontario crash caused by van driver’s error
Written by on February 8th, 2012 in Latest News.
The driver of a van involved in a crash that killed 11 people Monday in southwestern Ontario ran through a stop sign and did not have the proper driver’s licence for the number of passengers he was carrying, the Ontario Provincial Police said Wednesday.
The crash between a passenger van carrying 13 farm workers and a Freightliner truck happened Monday afternoon at the intersection of Perth County Road 107 and Line 47, about 23 kilometres northwest of Stratford, Ont.
Police said Wednesday the driver of the passenger van, who was travelling westbound on Line 47, failed to obey a stop sign just before being struck by the southbound truck, which had the right of way.
“It was this action that caused the collision,” police Insp. Scott Lawson told reporters on Wednesday.
The horrific crash threw the van more than 40 metres, killing its driver and nine passengers. The driver of the truck that struck the van was also killed and has been identified as Christopher Fulton, 38, of London, Ont.
Of the three van passengers who survived the crash, two are in critical condition.
The driver of the passenger van, who police identified as David Armando Blancas-Hernandez, was among those killed.
Lawson said any vehicle that carries more than 11 passengers requires a class F driver’s licence, a higher classification than the class G licence held by Blancas-Hernandez.
The OPP also released a complete list of victims. Those riding in the van were migrant workers from Peru who were leaving work at a nearby poultry farm at the time of the crash.
Those who died in the van are:
- David Armando Blancas-Hernandez, 45, the driver of the van.
- Jose Mercedes Valdiviezo-Taboa, 49.
- Cesar Augusto Sanchez-Palacios, 53.
- Enrique Atturo Leon, 47.
- Corsino Jaramillo, 47.
- Mario Abril, 48.
- Oscar Compomanes-Corzo, age unknown.
- Juan Castillo, age unknown.
- Elvio Bravo-Suncion, age unknown.
- Fernando Correa, age unknown.
Among the van passengers who survived the crash are:
- Edgar Sulla-Puma, 26. He was air-lifted to Hamilton hospital and is in critical condition.
- Juan Ariza, 35. He is in critical condition at Stratford General Hospital.
- Abetardo Alba-Medina, 36. He was taken to Stratford General Hospital by ambulance after the crash, then later transferred to London Health Sciences Centre, where he is in honest condition.
OPP Chief Supt. John Cain said the crash highlights the need for drivers to remain aware at the wheel.
“This crash did not have to happen and these lives need not have been lost,” he said. “Driver error is the largest contributing factor to collisions in Ontario.”
