Driver wedges himself under Highway 417 overpass in Ottawa

Ottawa firefighters and local Ontario Provincial Police officers were called to a bizarre scene Tuesday morning along Highway 417.

A driver had wedged his vehicle under the overpass on the Queensway at Eagleson Road. OPP said the driver lost control and the vehicle ended up on its side right under the bridge. It happened at around 8:40 a.m.

Ottawa firefighters extricated the driver after cutting out the windshield. He was the only one in the vehicle and was not hurt.

Ottawa OPP Const. Michael Fathi said he and other members of the team had never seen anything like this in their years policing the 417.

The driver is facing a charge of careless driving.

Fathi said it took about an hour to remove the vehicle from its position. Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick DeFazio said firefighters tied a rope to the frame of the minivan and secured the other end to a cement pillar beside the overpass to help stabilize the vehicle and remove it.

Ottawa firefighters extricated a driver who wedged his vehicle under the overpass at Eagleson Road on Highway 417 in Ottawa. Dec. 24, 2024. (Ottawa Fire Services/Threads)