Farmer on his tractor hit by large transport truck on June 23 on Mitch Owens rd in Edwards.

Below is a story that was shared with locals via Facebook regarding the terrible accident that took place on Mitch Owens road in Edwards, in south east Ottawa near Ivandale Farm on June 23. Photos below courtesy of Facebook post on the Carlsbad Springs Community Engagement page. The text below is uncensored and we felt it was important to share.

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This week, on June 23rd, our family went through trauma that we have all feared was one day going to happen. Collectively we have shared numerous wild stories of near misses from drivers on Mitch Owens Rd driving dangerously. Carelessly cutting-off tractors with clear turn signals on who are actively turning onto another road. Passing tractors on the gravel shoulder as the tractor is actively turning right into a farm lane, numerous instances of vehicles and transports passing into oncoming traffic who have to swerve and hit the shoulder of the road. These instances happen almost on the weekly now.

But our biggest fear became reality this week. At 4:38 AM we got a phone call from Craig, shaken up, telling us he was in an accident driving the 1 km distance from his farm to the dairy farm for morning milking.

“Dad, I’ve been hit at high speed by a transport truck from behind”. Imagine receiving that kind of call at 4:38 in the morning while you’re peacefully minding your business in the early morning hours caring for your cows. And then imagine speeding to the end of your farm lane to see your son covered in blood sitting on the side of the road in extreme pain and trying to process it all.

HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW:

* God had his hand of protection around Craig that morning. Had Craig not had that farming implement being pulled behind him he would not be here today.

* Craig was hit from behind by a transport truck, full speed, no attempt to brake

* This happened at 4:30AM, there was no blinding morning sun

* Skies were clear at this time, no fog

* Craig had bright LED hazard lights on the tractor that were flashing, hazard lights on the implement behind him, and slow-moving signs

* There were no other vehicles on the road to prevent the transport from being able to serve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting Craig

The impact was so intense and loud that surrounding neighbours were woken by the bang!* and security cameras a KM away recorded the sound.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW:

* Why the truck driver (from Brampton) hit Craig at full speed without even breaking. How did he not see Craig?

* How to make Mitch Owens Road safer? The team at Ivandale Farm and neighbouring farms can’t do their jobs and navigate roads to get to fields or move new momma cows with their newborn calves without a very real fear and concern for safety

* What will the long-term effects be on Craig’s physical body and everyone’s mental health?

WHO IS CRAIG?

Craig is the 6th generation of Waddell men to run this dairy farm. He studied Agriculture at McGill and came home to farm with his father, Barry. His greatest passion is organic field crops and regenerative farming. He is deeply invested in soil health and farming in a way that works with nature, nurtures it and doesn’t harm it or continue to deplete it. He is also a husband and father to 3 little boys who are 4, 2 and 1 month old.

You need to understand, when these kinds of things happen, not only do we have psychological trauma and bodily injury, we also have the loss of critical farm equipment. That tractor was used for everything: mixing cow feed, moving fresh mommas and their newborn calves from the maternity barn to the main dairy, field work, snow blowing, etc. That implement he was pulling cuts our hay, 2nd cut hay is ready to be cut in just a few days. You can’t just replace these things quickly, or easily and they cost a lot of money. Oftentimes specific equipment is sourced out of the States and requires a massive effort to get it home. On a deeper level, our farming team becomes personally attached and invested in these pieces of equipment. You spend hours upon hours with a tractor it becomes like family.

This whole incident which happened in a matter of seconds has such widespread impact in so many ways. We got off VERY fortunate…this time. The other 99% of the time, this would have been an obituary post. We could have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother and a farmer. It’s deeply important to us now to start to speak up about road safety around agriculture, especially around rural Ottawa. Speaking up is not our forte, we are quiet introverted farmers. But for the ongoing safety and future generations of this farm we’re going to have to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and start making our collective voices heard.

So this is it. We are speaking. Speaking out for the first, but it sure as heck won’t be the last.

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