CFN – It happened again. Another crash on Highway 138. So far no life was lost in this head on crash.
Highway 138 is a major North South link between the 417 and 401 highways and the most direct route to Ottawa from Cornwall Ontario. It’s heavily used and two lanes wide only.
Because of some very slow drivers long lines can ensue and occasional risky maneuvers as frustrated drivers zoom by the slow pokes. I know. I’ve done it myself many a time.
This crash involved a 17 year old driver, a whole other issue. Detail are from the OPP below, but the bottom line is that 138 needs to be widened or a new road built entirely.
During the municipal election only one candidate talked about this issue; Liberal Mark A MacDonald. The media didn’t give it much love and it was dismissed by many chiefly because of its source, but how many more accidents on 138 will it take before it’s realized that this region needs a better traffic artery which besides being a safety issue is an economic one for the region.
All you have to do is look at the growth in communities like Kemptville since the 416 highway through way was built.
Is it time to widen 138? You can post your comments below.
From the OPP:
COLLISION CLOSES ROAD
(South Stormont) – On 30Apr12, at approximately 5:00pm, SD&G OPP officers attended the scene of a two vehicle collision on Highway 138, South Stormont Township.
Early stages of the collision indicate that a Beige 2000 Ford Windstar was north bound when (for reasons under investigation) the vehicle strayed into the south bound lane striking a Red 2009 Toyota.
The 17yr old male driver (Liam CHAUSSIE of St. Andrews, On) of the Ford van was taken to Cornwall Regional Hospital McConnell Site where was treated and released. The 35yr old male driver (Luc GEUVIN of Cornwall, On) and his male passenger were airlifted to the Civic Hospital in Ottawa.
A section of Highway 138 was closed to traffic while emergency crews attended to the scene. SD&G OPP officers assisted by OPP Technical traffic Investigators, continue the investigation.
My mother use to live off that highway when i was a kid. I’ve seen WAY to many accidents on it over the years. I live in moose creek now and i have seen cars pull over to the side of the road to avoid the head on collision has people try and pass. All i keep thinking and repeating to myself. Don’t these people understand how easy it is to die on this road?
My wife used that road for 15 Years to go to work.,,Her Father used it for 21 Years…It’s a Dangerous place to drive.We still use it to visit Family outside of Town,also to go to Ottawa.My cousin lost his son on that road…
There are so many reasons why widening this highway is a necessity, not the least of which is the tragic loss of life or serious injuries throughout the years. This is the only link to the 417 and many people commute to Ottawa for work, doctor’s appointments etc. I believe we could attract many more people to our area if we made it easier and safer for people to get here. As we extol the virtues of our great city and invite people to come, continuing to make it difficult seems self defeating.
I have been driving this highway for 7 years 5 days a week, all I can say is the problem is not the highway, it’s the drivers! Passing going up hills, driving way above the speed limit and zipping in & out of traffic. There are alot of small intersections along that highway that nobody pays attention to as well. I have noticed a much bigger police prescence on that highway as of late and almost everyday they have someone pulled over for speeding… I have witnessed a few head on collisions myself and let me tell you it could have been avoided by merely not trying to pass going up a godamn hill because someone has road rage!
Alot of idiots driving on this road, keep it under a 100km and wake up on time and there won’t be any flippin issues!
This is a terrible road and I use it frequently with my family. I live in Ottawa and my family lives in Cornwall. This road scares me I have seen too many close calls on this highway and one too many accidents. Something has to be done very soon. Im sick and tired of hearing about accidents on this highway when something can be done to help eliminate this issue.
I live in Ottawa and every so many months we use the 138 to go to Cornwall and back to Ottawa. Yes the 138 is very dangerous indeed and a bigger highway is needed for sure but and I mean but I can’t see this highway being widened and may have to be built elsewhere. There are farms and other businesses as well as private homes along the highway and I can’t see anything being done to this highway. Farmers go from one area of the highway to the other in their farm implements. The government will have to look into this matter. I along with some other person here agree that the real problem are the drivers. Here in Ottawa roads are wide and the drivers are the worst that we have ever seen and accidents every day of the week. Drivers leave too late to get to work or wherever they are going, drive too fast and swinging back and forth between cars and I can go on and on. Yes some drivers are too slow but better slow than fast. I even see people here in Ottawa running for buses instead of leaving their homes much earlier so you can imagine these people driving. The same stupid bunch.
i travel the 138 from cornwall to moosecreek 3 or 4 times aday driving a tractor trailor, it isnt the speed limit that is wrong or the width of the highway, it is pure driver ignorance, the speed limit is 80 kl , i put my cruise on at 90 kl an d people will pass like they are going to a fire , once they pass they slow down to 80 kl , now honestly what is wrong with that picture , the opp have made a strong presence there in the last couple of weeks and they have done a fantastic job with nailing these people.if the speed was what they are worried about then how come they dont nail the people that are doing 90kl ??? they are getting the idiots that want to pass just because they want to be in the front of the line !!!
That road is terrible, mainly because of the drivers. Impatient aggressive drivers and those that are texting, talking etc. People need to obeys the laws of the road and slow down too. I firmly believe that there also needs to be traffic lights put in at Headline and 138. There is a school close by and it will slow drivers down. It will also allow cars from Headline to enter the highway with ease….now I have to practically floor it to enter into traffic.
I myself seen the accident yesterday and I believe this highway should have more police control and crack down on the idiots on this road and start handing out tickets or make it a 4 lane highway or more traffic lights something needs to be stop talking and take action how many more lives will we have to see be taken on this road before something gets done stop and take action !!
Another avoidable accident . Until we all stop treating driving as if it were a right and start removing licenses for extented periods of time for aggressive behavior or repeated offending these occurances will increase in their frequency . Higher fines will sweeten the pot but the problem will continue on. Some individuals simply do have more money than brains .
Well i beleve it is time to react cause more and more ppl are gtt hurt seriously hurt or killed on this road, my cousint was the one who got hit dead on by the 17yr old driver..
He left my cousin in a coma at the hospital, now you tell me, does anyone apose to doing something write for once in our live
the pain we all go thrue when something like this happens,
it is not fare for anyones family to go thrue this at any time……..
And what the hell is up with those drivers who aint got a clue how to drive, they all need to be punished for there crimes and stupidity…….
Yes the 138 is dangerous indeed but and I mean but I keep on stressing this because it is true – it is the idiot drivers at fault. Talking on the phone, texting, reading papers, driving like maniacs and I can go on and on folks. Just driving here in Ottawa in insanity at its best. So many accidents every single day of the week. Years ago when high tech was really on the go the city even said that they didn’t have enough roads to accommodate everyone. I look around here in Ottawa and it is true and the city grew so big in population. Many people moved out of the city into rural areas to have some peace and quiet and my husband and I were saying to one another just this evening that the best place to live is in the rural areas. As for the 138 things will not change – it is up to the drivers themselves to change. There was a piece on yahoo today about how stressful it is to commute long distances and they showed a woman texting on her phone. They also pointed out how people get high blood pressure and die. When you get home you are way too stressed to make supper or enjoy your family and all you want to do is crawl into bed to sleep. This is no life at all. I think that the cops should move their behinds and go and watch what is going on and nail the stupids with very high tickets and that way it will make money for the communities around and when it hits hard in the pocket book people might – just might think twice before acting aggressively. You can have the roads widened till the cows come home but if people are going to disobey then nothing will solve the problems.
I have to post one more comment on this subject just now. I don’t remember if it was last year or the year before or when but OC Transpo here in Ottawa wanted to put a rail line between Ottawa and Cornwall – a rapid transit on the rails for all of you commuters. Well the idiot mayor Kilger declined. That would have been the safest way for everyone to commute. This is done in Montreal, Toronto, etc. where a lot of people live out in the burbs and commute into the hell hole of the cities. No Kilger refused and look at Cornwall – nothing is moving but instead it went down the hill into something much worse than the 30’s era great depression. I think that something should be done and I don’t think that the problem will be solved by widening the highway but having an alternative and safer way of travel is the answer. Kilger and Queen Clement are two of the most useless there is but there are others as well. All Kilger wants is something that is photo op and the highway and the commuter rail wouldn’t do him any good in photo ops.