Latest serious crash leads to more calls to improve Metcalfe intersection

John Normandinwasn't surprised when a tractor-trailer collided with a car at the intersection near his rural Ottawa home earlier this weeksending three people to hospital.

"I'm hearing the horns blaring, the tires squealing almost every day," said Normandin, who can see the intersection of8th Line and Parkway roads in Metcalfefrom his property.

On Tuesday, a car and a tractor trailer were involved in a crash that sent three males tohospital, including one who had to be airlifted.

While surveying the crash debris on his lawn the next day, Normandin said he witnessed another close call. He said he regularly gets flat tires on his tractor while cutting grass due to leftovers from collisions.

Other fatal crashes

Back in 2013,Ottawa police Const. Michael Robillard was killed nearthe intersection while driving to work. Another fatal crash happened in the area in 2017.

The city's traffic collision data shows 12 crashes reported to police in andaround that intersection from 2015 to 2019.

Normandin saidhe tries to keep the trees on his property trimmed for sightlines, but he would like to see the speed limit reduced from 80 km/h in the downhill stretch before the intersection.

People regularly speed as they headtoward the two-way stop to get to Highway 417, he said,which leaves vehicles inching out from Parkwayonto 8th Line at risk of being T-boned.

"There's car traffic, there's truck traffic, there's family traffic, people with bicycles. So something worse is going to happen sooner or later," Normandin said.

He planson reaching out to Osgoode ward Coun. George Darouze, who represents the area. Neither Darouze nor the city responded when asked by CBC to comment on the intersection.

Community association supports intersection changes

The president of the MetcalfeCommunity Association, Marc Sauve, said Darouze has asked the association to put together a list of recommendations for him to review, which he plans to collect at the monthly meeting next week.

Sauve saidhe had already expressed his concerns during two past site visits at the intersection with Darouze and city staff.

The stop sign on 8th Line was recently replaced with a larger one and moved up the road a matter of weeks after a request for that to happen, but Sauve wants the intersection to becomea four-way stop.

That would replace the flashing orange light hanging above the intersection, which urges drivers to proceed with caution,with a flashing red one forcing drivers to stop.

Sauve addedthere are a number of dangerous spots around Metcalfe that need traffic calming measures because collisionsin rural Ottawa are often at higher speeds.