Source: CTV
Brampton car accident lawyers across our area take numerous cases this time of year stemming from hazardous winter driving conditions. In this instance, cold and wet weather didn’t so much cause a woman’s car to careen into a pond Wednesday night as make the potential consequences so much more severe.
The yet-unidentified woman escaped a crash with only minor injuries after a wreck that saw her vehicle hop a curb near Kennedy Road and Progress Avenue in Scarborough overnight, drive underneath a fence, and roll downhill into a pond, according to police by way of CTV. When officers arrived on the scene around 2 a.m., the visibly shaken woman told them she accidentally pressed her vehicle’s gas pedal in a closeby mall parking lot to set off the wild ride.
Though the pond had been covered with ice, the woman escaped and swam to shore before yelling for help. Fortunately, a motorist passing by noticed her and dialed 911 to summon aid. The driver was understandably rattled, but was released from hospital with no significant harm. Police and tow operators, meanwhile, worked together to extract the drowned vehicle from its watery grave Thursday morning.
It’s a timely cautionary tale for all GTA motorists this frozen season. Should your vehicle ever end up plunging into icy water, your first moves should be to unlock your nearest door and roll down the windows before the car can sink very far. Next, get out immediately either by opening the door, if possible, or crawling through the window – it takes little more than a minute for an average-sized sedan to fill with water once it goes into the drink. From there, it’s imperative to get out of the water as quickly as you can before hypothermia has a chance to take hold.
The car’s descent is no time to sit in the driver’s seat and dial 911. Make it to shore first, then summon help.