Charges pending after tractor trailer plows into Atwood, Ont. building

Transport truck lodges itself into Atwood building After a transport truck crashed into a building, onlookers were curious to see the removal process begin. CTV London’s Scott Miller reports.

Passing motorists are pulling over to take pictures of something you don’t see every day -- a logging truck and trailer, lodged in the side of building.

“It’s shocking to say the least. I hadn’t, at first glance, realized how badly the building was damaged, but it’s certainly something you don’t see everyday,” says local resident, David Martin, who was waiting to see when the trailer was going to be removed.

The unloaded tractor trailer and cab ended up lodged in the side of a building on Atwood’s Main Street, after clipping a car parked on the side of the road, before careening into the building around 6:15 a.m. on Monday.

Jennifer Lisewski, who lives nearby, was one of the first people on scene.

“He didn’t see a vehicle parked on the side of the road, parked in the shadows of a tree, and it was black, and that’s what transpired him hitting the building. Unfortunately, the owner of that vehicle has had a few vehicles hit, so this hasn’t been the first,” she says.

Police say the driver of the logging truck walked away from the crash with nothing more than a few cuts and bruises.

The building that was hit was being turned into apartments, but no one was in the building or was injured by the oncoming truck. The truck travelled so far into the building that it hit the other side of the double-wide structure.

“Had the truck been loaded, it could have definitely been worse,” says Perth County OPP Community Services Officer, Cst. Kimberly Lyon.

“The homes are quite close together here on the Main Street, so yes, it was very fortunate that there wasn’t more damage and no one else was hurt,” she continues.

While a tractor trailer into a building should be unique, this is the second time in nine months it’s happened in the Municipality of North Perth.

On Jan. 21, 2022, a tractor trailer left Listowel, Ont.’s Main Street, careening into three local businesses. The 61-year-old driver from Mississauga was charged with careless driving as a result.

Police say charges are pending in the Atwood crash as well.

“It’s just a disaster. It’s amazing the driver survived the crash,” says an Atwood resident, who dropped by the scene on Tuesday.

Lyon says it’s expected the building will have to come down in order for the truck to be pulled out. While that is expected to happen on Tuesday, it is possible the truck will stay stuck for awhile longer.

“The building has to come down with the truck for them to take it out. As you can see, the truck has gone right through the building,” says Lyon.

“I did not think that anybody would have survived it, so I was quite happy to see that he [the driver] was able to walk away,” Lisewski adds.

A section of Main Street will be closed to traffic while demolition and clean up efforts are underway.