[Story Update: Some people have said (blog world) that we identified the injured person as a warrior without knowing whether it was true. Well, today MPP Toby Barrett tells us Mohawk News told him the Injuired Warrior was walking on the track because he was on patrol protecting the native people. I guess our identification was correct.]

Below is a Press Release regarding the Train accident we covered the other day. Once again the OPP demonstrate that they continuously fail to respond while events take place and then, and only then, after the whole thing is over do the OPP want to investigate what happened.

Let's be prefectly clear - at least 10 OPP officers stood by during this whole event and did nothing to help the injured persons. As stated by the resident who helped the injured Native and engineers, the OPP asked him to go back in to see whether the second engineer needed medical attention.

So suddenly the OPP want the public to help them in the details of what happened - how about asking the 10 officers who stood by and did not respond. I guess we all know the answer to that - they have no clue what happened as they refused to help. What makes the release below more outrageous is the fact that the person who was completely involved at every step has not been asked by the OPP to give a statement even though they clearly know who he is.

Remember, the OPP has promised this resident the badge numbers of each officer who stood by - to date he still has not received these. They know where this person lives. Even if they somehow don't know who he is then why not call us or email us and ask who supplied us with the eye witness account?

What also blows my mind is that anytime you ask OPP media a question about an event they mostly always try to tell you they cannot give out details. Why then give out the names of the engineers and the native.

Here we have the possibilty that someone could have died, people could have been seriously hurt and the OPP just stood around. Hours went by without OPP help and then suddenly the next day they assign an OPP officer to investigate - TOO LATE and TOO LITTLE.

We will phone the OPP detachment to see if we can provide them with information. We'll keep you informed as to whether the OPP even want the information from us.

OPP Media Release

31 July 2006  

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY TRAIN

(Caledonia, Ontario)  Ontario Provincial Police Haldimand County Detachment is investigating a pedestrian train collision that occurred on the Canadian National Rail Line bordering the Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, Haldimand County.

On Sunday, July 30 at approximately 11:24pm, a northbound GEXR Rail Link Southern Ontario train struck a pedestrian walking on the rail line.  The train stopped at the scene.  The victim Gilbert Hill age 46 of no fixed address, received minor injuries.

 
The conductor Jacqueline Howard and engineer Scott Bellamy were transported to West Haldimand General Hospital in Hagersville for treatment.

The investigation is continuing by members of the Ontario Provincial Police along with the assistance of Six Nations Police Service.

If you have any information that may assist in this investigation please call Haldimand County OPP Detachment at 905-772-3322.