'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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.