Tuesday, February 7, 2006

What's The Most Dangerous Winter Job In Northern Ontario?

Goulais River, Ont.,

The snowplow drivers on Hwy 17, north of Sault Ste Marie, just maybe asking their employer for danger pay. For the third time this winter a snowplow has been hit while plowing snow and this time the driver of the plow was injured.

Yesterday at about 9:30 a.m. a snow plow was northbound on Hwy 17 slowing to make a left turn onto Havilland Shores Drive. As the driver was just about to make the left turn, a northbound transport tried to pass the snowplow on the left. Both vehicles collided. The plow and the transport ended up in the ditch at the corner of Havilland Shores Drive and Hwy 17. The two vehicles had moderate damage and large tow trucks were needed to get both vehicles out of the ditch.

The plow driver, forty four year old Daniel Lajoie OF Sault Ste Marie was taken to Sault and Area Hospital by ambulance for minor injuries. The driver of the transport, fifty five year old Iouri Klevtsov of Woodbridge, Ontario has been charged Drive Left of Center on a Curve and Fail to Drive in Marked Lane.

On Sunday 29 January 2006 a snow plow operating in the same area of Hwy 17 was struck twice in one day by transports passing on the right side of the plow. In these collisions no one was injured.