2 students in critical condition after SUV runs into Burlington city workers
Three Burlington city workers — two of whom were summer students — were rushed to hospital Thursday morning after being hit by an SUV on the job.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m., Halton police say, when three Burlington roads workers were doing landscaping work on a centre island median on Walkers Line, south of Berton Avenue.
According to police, the driver of a northbound Nissan Pathfinder lost control and mounted the island median. The SUV struck all three people, then came to rest on the grass at the east side of the roadway.
A 19-year-old man and a 22-year-old man were transported to Hamilton General Hospital with critical injuries. City of Burlington spokesperson Donna Kell confirmed that the two critically injured workers were summer students. They are now in stable, but critical condition.
The 34-year-old woman who was acting as their supervisor was taken to Joseph Brant Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The 51-year-old male driver of the SUV was not injured. Police say they have ruled out alcohol and cell phone use as causes for the crash.
"This is heartbreaking news," Mayor Rick Goldring said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the employees who have been injured and with their families."
The city says it is not sharing the names of the employees involved until their families have been notified. The city likely would look into safety procedures in light of what happened, Kell said, but at a later date.
"Our major concern and focus right now is the injured people and their families," she said.
Goldring and Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster visited the injured workers in hospital Thursday, the city says.
Since the accident, Roads and Parks Maintenance staff were called back to their offices where two crisis counsellors are available.
Walkers Line was closed between Berton and Const. Henshaw Boulevard in both directions for several hours.