Accident victim's father threatens lawsuit without Townline remediation

Posted March 20, 2013

Frank Forrest's family life changed forever in the early morning hours of February 10, after his 18-year-old son was found by a passerby seriously injured in a single vehicle collision into a bridge on the Adjala-Tecumseth Townline, north of the 9th.

Mr. Forrest told New Tecumseth councillors Monday night that he believes the condition of the roadway was a factor in that crash, and others before it, including four fatal, then announced, holding up a letter, an intent to sue if they don't take immediate action to remedy the "known" dangers.

"The Town has an obligation to repair it," he said, suggesting years of neglect could hold each of them responsible as well. "Those bridges are pretty well a death trap if anyone happens to hit them."

In January, New Tecumseth applied for $742,500 in funding from the provincial government's Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII) capital program to apply against the estimated $3.75 million phase 1 costs to repair the road, and bridges between the 9th and 11th Line, which were built in the 1950s "to the standard of the day."

MIII application identifies these bridges as "NOW" needs projects, and describes the danger caused by "the lack of an appropriate drainage outlet in the area (that) allows water to stand in the roadside ditches which creates a possibilty of errant cars becoming submerged."

New Tecumseth and Adjala-Tosorontio have a joint agreement for maintenance of the Townline, with New Tecumseth looking after from the 8th Line north. Mr. Forrest called the road condition, "an elephant in the room for the last 10 years." He told them he was happy to hear about the application, terming it an "in the mail" solution. "It's all wannabes. You've got to do something now."

He suggested immediate actions could include lowering the speed limit, and placing barrels in front of the bridges as is done to the concrete pillars along major highways.

"Its got to stop," he said. "I'm looking to you to make it happen."

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