'Heroic' TTC driver rescues 4 people before GO train crushes car
A TTC bus driver rescued four people who were stuck in a car on GO train tracks just minutes before a train rammed into their vehicle.
The driver of the car told CTV News Toronto he was confused driving in the snowy, dark weather along Finch Avenue, just west of Midland Avenue, around 6 p.m. on Thursday night.
He said when he suddenly realized he was on the GO train tracks, he tried to make a U-turn and got stuck.
The TTC bus operator on the Finch east route told CTV News Toronto he’s very familiar with the GO schedule and knew the next train was only minutes away.
After the driver spotted the stuck car, he said he abandoned the bus he was driving and ran towards the vehicle, flung the doors open and unbuckled the passenger’s seat belts.
Both the TTC operator and the driver of the vehicle asked not to be identified.
Just four or five minutes later, the train came on schedule, crashing into the car and pushing it down the tracks, police said.
"He's the hero tonight. If he didn't signal them to get out on time, I don't know what would have happened,” Toronto Police Sgt. Renato Valdez said.
The TTC echoed that sentiment in a tweet on Friday morning, calling the driver “incredibly heroic” and announcing a formal commendation will be awarded to him.
"Fortunately there were no injuries," Valdez said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors concerned about potential spread of bird flu in Canada
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of US dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
There's a limit to how much interest rates in Canada and U.S. can diverge: Macklem
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canadian interest rates don't have to match U.S. or global rates, but there is a limit to how much they can diverge.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Should I invest with a human or a robot? Traditional firms vs. robo-advisors
Investors considering where to park their money have a choice: go with a traditional financial adviser or trust in an algorithm. Here are the pros and cons of both.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Imagine living in a 4-foot body that doesn't develop chronic diseases
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.