Fire and police crews attend a collision involving a train and minivan. The driver of the van, 80-year-old Elmer Friesen, passed away at the scene. Cochrane RCMP continue to investigate the accident. Photo by Jeremy Broadfield
Tragedy struck in Cochrane at roughly 10:40 a.m. Nov. 10 when a train collided with a van at the Fifth Avenue crossing in downtown, leaving a male driver dead at the scene.
A Honda Odyssey van, driven by 80-year-old Elmer Friesen, was headed south when it was struck by the east-bound train at a marked crossing and pushed approximately 800 metres down the tracks.
Hugh Pepper watched in horror from the other side of the train crossing at Fifth Avenue as the train struck the van.
“There was a big bang, and lots of impact,” said Pepper, who had headed down the tracks to a spot behind Cochrane Ford where the train had come to rest after the accident to see if he could do anything. He said he saw Friesen’s van head into the crossing as the crossing arms came down, but after seeing the train approaching fast Friesen attempted to reverse.
“By the time he got back the train was there and hit him,” said Pepper.
Businesses located along the tracks by the Fifth Avenue crossing also witnessed the horrific accident.
Jennifer Winter of Winter Photographics said while she didn’t see the accident she heard the collision.
“It was absolutely traumatic for everyone involved,” said Winter whose thoughts are with Friesen’s family in this dark hour.
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