Two-vehicle crash hospitalizes three people

Two-vehicle crash hospitalizes two people. Firefighters and paramedics are on the scene and helping driver Annette Dagenais to be removed from her vehicle following this Hwy. 17 collision. In the foreground, the other driver, Guy Pellerin, sits in his car after sustaining minor injuries. Steve Newman, Renfrew Mercury

A two-vehicle crash shortly before 11 a.m. this morning sent two female Quebec residents to hospital, one with critical and one with serious injuries.

Annette Dagenais, who resides in Quebec, but also has a residence in Cotieville, just outside Renfrew, suffered serious injuries. Her passenger, with critical injuries, was airlifted from Renfrew to the Civic campus of the Ottawa hospital.

Cement finisher Guy Pellerin of Ottawa was headed to work in his Ford Lincoln when the crash occurred. He told The Renfrew Mercury EMC that he was westbound and turning off Highway 17 into Renfrew for a coffee, before continuing on to Petawawa, when the collision occurred at O’Brien Road.

“I was turning left. I didn’t see him. That’s all I know,” said Pellerin.

Police say Pellerin’s vehicle was struck by an eastbound Toyota Sienna, whose two occupants were transported to Renfrew Victoria Hospital.

After impact, the Toyota slid across the lane and crashed into a post at the lighted intersection.

The Ford Lincoln was knocked back into the opposite lane and facing eastbound.

Pellerin, who suffered small cuts on his face, remained on the scene as members of the Horton and Renfrew fire departments worked with paramedics to remove the injured occupants from the vehicle. He was subsequently transported to Renfrew Victoria Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Const. Jeff Cassidy of the Renfrew OPP, who attended the scene of the accident, says Pellerin has been charged with unsafe driving.

Cassidy says Pellerin was making the left turn on a green light, but traffic heading eastbound also had a green light.