Tamara Feyen witnessed a scene she’ll never escape. Driving behind a transport truck on Highway 59, she described a horrifying instant – a flash of blue, then an SUV launched into the air, flipping end over end. The impact resonated with a brutal force that would forever alter the lives of those nearby.
She immediately pulled over, rushing first to the truck, then towards the wreckage. A treed area held grim clues: a small child’s shoe, a discarded backpack, and the SUV resting on its side, its windshield shattered into a spiderweb of glass. A chilling silence hung in the air.
With another woman, Feyen called out, desperately hoping for a response. “There was no movement and no sounds,” she recounted, the memory still raw. “It was an awful scene.” The tragedy claimed the lives of three people – a 39-year-old driver from Cambridge and two teenage passengers, ages 13 and 17, from Tillsonburg.
Two others within the SUV sustained life-threatening injuries, their condition remaining critical. The collision occurred at the intersection of Highway 59 and Quaker Street, a rural crossroads south of Woodstock. The driver of the transport truck escaped unharmed, but the emotional toll on the community was just beginning.
Betty Kerr, a resident living near the intersection, heard the crash from her home. She and her husband, Dave, had spent twenty years advocating for a reduced speed limit on the dangerous stretch of highway. Oxford County council had finally approved the change in February, yet the new signs hadn’t been installed.
Dave Kerr, arriving shortly after the accident, described a devastating scene. “We’re totally upset,” he said, haunted by the images he witnessed. “We had a very disturbed sleep…(I) saw the bodies laid out.” Betty Kerr had repeatedly warned officials that inaction would lead to a fatal collision.
Norwich Township Mayor Jim Palmer confirmed the speed limit had been lowered to 60 km/h, but lamented the delay in posting the new signage. “This is a real bad reminder for everyone that time matters,” he stated, acknowledging the profound loss impacting at least five families.
Local councillor Lynne DePlancke, a resident of forty years, called it the most tragic accident she’d ever witnessed. Sirens pierced the afternoon, followed by the arrival of an air ambulance, a desperate attempt to transport one of the critically injured to a hospital. Her deepest condolences went to those affected.
The roads were closed for hours as investigators pieced together the events leading to the devastating crash. Oxford OPP, along with specialized traffic teams, are appealing to the public for any information, including dashcam footage or surveillance videos. Anyone with details is urged to contact investigators.
Police are seeking assistance from anyone who may have witnessed the collision, hoping to uncover crucial details. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers, with the potential for a cash reward. The investigation continues, seeking answers and a measure of closure for a community grappling with unimaginable grief.
