Car accident forces evacuation of RR hospital and homes

Ken Johnston

It started as a simple fender bender Monday morning, but it quickly became a major incident.
Sparky Johnston, of Rainy River, was eastbound on Mill Avenue when her car struck a parked vehicle at the Rainy River Clinic. She then attempted to back up and ended up grazing the clinic wall shearing off the natural gas meter and eventually hitting a tree.
The accident occurred around 10 a.m. and all the emergency agencies in the area were called around then. However, all were slow to respond.
Only one Rainy River volunteer fireman was on the scene along with two men that were at the fire hall inspecting the department’s equipment. Fireman Richard Stamler arrived on the scene at 10:10 a.m. Eventually he was joined by fire chief Stewart McNally, Dale Morrison, Tim Nordin and Clint Armstrong.
Natural gas was hissing away full blast from the sheared line. Johnston was taken away in an ambulance. There was no word on her condition at press time.
The police did not arrive on the scene until 10:45 a.m. Shortly thereafter the town crew were busy going door to door on 5th and 6th Streets telling citizens to evacuate to the Community Centre. With a wind from the east, officials wanted to get all out of harms way. The hospital and long term care patients were evacuated to the legion hall around 11:15 a.m. Ambulances from neighbouring Canadian communities were brought in to help move patients from the hospital to the Legion.
Around 11:30 a.m. the residents and the CIBC on the bottom block of Main, just across from the clinic, were told to evacuate. The bank closed for business.
Officials from Union Gas, Ontario Hydro and Bell Canada were called. Union Gas said their staff was at least an hour away at 10:20 a.m. They arrived at 11:38 a.m. and had the gas turned off at 11:58 a.m.
A crew worked on the line and had gas back into the building by mid-afternoon.
Patients and residents were allowed back into the hospital late Monday afternoon.