Crews were spotted installing fences near train tracks in Mississauga, Ontario. just over 12 hours after a toddler was struck and killed by a GO train in the area.
Emergency crews were called to the scene at Dundas Street and Cawthra Road at around 7.40pm on Tuesday.
Mississauga Fire has confirmed for the first time that a child was hit by a passing train. The child, believed to be four years old, was pronounced dead at the scene just before 9pm
A spokesman for Metrolinx, which operates GO Train service, said in a statement Tuesday night that about 300 passengers were aboard the train when the child was struck.
“We are providing grief counselors for our team and staff investigating the scene,” James Wattie said at the time. “We also understand that the incident has greatly upset customers on board. We encourage them to seek the community mental health support they need.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) confirmed late Wednesday morning that it had opened an investigation into the crash.
READ MORE: Child dies after being hit by GO train in Mississauga, Ontario.
Speaking to CP24 at the scene of the accident, a witness who owns a nearby garage said he was working at the time of the incident when he heard the blare of train horns followed by the loud screeching of a rail brake.
“When I came out of my garage, I saw that the train had stopped. This has never happened before,” Muhammad Tayyab said.
“Three children were screaming and crying very loudly. I was shocked. I ran there… I see the body, there was a child on the side… They are very badly injured.”
Tayyab said he saw a woman running towards the children shortly afterwards and described her as being in complete shock.
It is not clear how the child ended up in the path of the train at the time of the collision or how exactly they gained access to the tracks.
However, area residents who spoke to CP24 afterward said the lack of barriers in front of the train tracks is a known problem and that it’s not uncommon to see people crossing the tracks to get to the other side.
To that end, crews were seen erecting fences Wednesday morning in an area near the tracks that appeared to be unobstructed.
Previously, the only barrier limiting access to the tracks at this location was a “no trespassing” sign.
The crash is still under investigation and this morning Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney, offered her condolences to the victim’s family.
“I spoke with the CEO of Metrolinx who informed me that his team is assisting with the ongoing investigation,” Mulroney said in a tweet.
Deeply saddened by the news of a GO train accident that resulted in the death of a child. My sincere condolences to the victim’s family.
I spoke with the CEO of Metrolinx, who informed me that his team is assisting with the ongoing investigation.
— Caroline Mulroney (@C_Mulroney) July 27, 2022
Although police did not release the age of the child involved in the crash, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said in a tweet posted Tuesday night that she was “absolutely devastated” to hear of the “death of a little four-year-old child.”
“Losing a child is nothing short of a tragedy and my heart goes out to the family and loved ones as they grieve this unspeakable and immeasurable loss,” Crombie wrote.
Pamela Fuseli is the CEO of Parachute, a Canadian injury prevention organization, and says there are over 73,000 kilometers of railways in Canada, but not all of them are closed to the public.
“Not every space can be separated by a fence or barriers, unfortunately,” Fuseli said.
“In places where there’s a large population, where there’s a large volume of potential crossing or people wanting to get from one side to the other, that has to be taken into account.”
She said understanding the movement of people was key to preventing these tragedies and that “passive” safety measures such as fences and barriers could help inform the public where to cross safely.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to Metrolinx to see if there are plans to erect more fences along the route in the near future, but has yet to hear back.
With files from Joshua Freeman
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