Ottawa level crossing gate down 25 seconds before crash...

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The gate guarding the level crossing where an Ottawa transit bus and a Via passenger train collided was fully horizontal 25 seconds before the impact that killed six people, a preliminary investigation into the crash has revealed.

Transportation Safety Board lead investigator Rob Johnston said the crossing lights, bells and gates for the level crossing near Fallowfield station had engaged 47 seconds before the crash, and that 25 seconds before the crash, the gate was down.
The crash happened Wednesday morning at 8:48 a.m. when an OC Transpo Route 76 bus travelling from the south Ottawa community of Barrhaven passed through the rail crossing near Fallowfield Station as Via Rail Train 51 was heading west.
The front end of the bus was sheared off in the collision and five people, including the driver, were pronounced dead at the scene. One bus passenger died later in hospital from injuries. More than 30 people were also injured in the crash.
Johnston noted that the train's emergency brakes were engaged two seconds before impact, and that prior to that it was travelling 75 km/h. He said the train did not whistle at its approach because of a municipal bylaw banning whistling between 8 p.m. and noon.
Johnston said the attention of the investigation will now focus on a mechanical assessment of the bus, its recording modules, a look at the training and conditions for the bus driver as well as an assessment of the sight-lines at the intersection.
Johnston said the TSB would not be providing any further updates after today but said the investigation will continue.
Ottawa police identified all six victims of the collision on Thursday.
They are, in no particular order:
Some of the injured were sent home with minor scrapes and bruises, while others with more serious injuries underwent surgery. There were no serious injuries among train passengers.
Several witnesses said the bus driver didn't brake at the rail crossing until moments before the collision, but that it wasn't enough to stop the bus before hitting the train.
A day later, crash survivor Colleen Thomas said she was still haunted by what she saw Wednesday.
The City of Ottawa has posted phone numbers to a number of places people can go to for help should they be in need of help after a traumatic event like the bus crash.
The Distress Centre answers calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with crisis line specialists providing confidential support. They can be reached at  613-238-3311 .
The Mental Health Crisis Line answers calls for people ages 16 or older 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can reach the line at  613-722-6914 .
Tel-Aide Outaouais offers French-language mental health telephone support from 8 a.m. to midnight every day. Ottawa residents can call  613-741-6433  and Gatineau residents can contact  819-775-3223 .
The Kids Help Phone ( 1-800-668-6868 ) provides confidential 24/7 phone and web counselling for children ages 20 and under.
The Youth Services Bureau (YSB) provides youth and family counselling, crisis support and a 24/7 crisis line at  613-260-2360 .
"At night, every time I would close my eyes, I would see the train hitting and ... I think I slept for 20 minutes last night. So I don't know. I'm just trying to process it," said Thomas.
"You just see the bodies, you see the twisted metal, the people, everyone running around. Just like the noise, people screaming, just like the impact of it is, I don't know, like I don't know how we're going to be able to get through this.
"We'll carry this with us for the rest of life. You don't get over that … I'll never be able to make that go away," she said.
In an emailed statement Friday, Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray said he's asked staff for information on level crossings.
"In light of Wednesday’s tragic events, I have asked staff to gather information on at-grade railway crossings. It’s premature to speculate on possible changes at this point.... We await the outcome of [the investigation's] findings. We need to let investigators do their work," he said.
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"The province will thoroughly examine any recommendations that come out of the TSB inquiry, and we will implement those recommendations as is necessary."
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson had said Wednesday he asked the city manager to gather any and all information about whether the intersection should have an underpass or an overpass.
This comes years after the city decided against an underpass at the crossing due to the high cost.
"Obviously any recommendations to improve safety that come out of this inquiry … we will do our utmost to adopt them,” said Watson.
Prior to Wednesday's crash, there had been no collisions at the intersection of the rail crossing and the Transitway since Ottawa Police began tracking those statistics in 2002.
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Craig Watson, president of the union representing Ottawa city bus drivers, said OC Transpo drivers have not had an issue with rail crossings in the past.
"Obviously we have that concern now," he told CBC News Network anchor Carol MacNeil.
Officials said the makeshift memorial at the site of collision, where residents and people who attended a vigil Wednesday left flowers and condolences to honour the people killed and injured, would have to be moved closer to Fallowfield station for safety reasons.