Residents in Ottawa’s south end are back in their homes after they were forced to evacuate when a propane tanker crashed and leaked last night. Homes within an 800-metre radius of the collision on Parkway Road at Cedar Lane were evacuated after the truck carrying approximately 7,000 litres of liquified propane rolled onto its side and caused a leak. The Ottawa Fire Services said a connection hose on the truck “had been partially sheared during the collision” and was actively leaking after the crash just before 7 p.m. Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick DeFazio said following an assessment of the scene by the HazMat Team and consultation with the Emergency Response Guide, it was determined that homes within an 800-metre radius needed to be evacuated. Homes on Cedar Acres Drive, Cedar Lane, Sunny Court, Trebla Way, Tintern Way between Parkway Road and Trebla Way, and Parkway Road between Stagecoach Road and Stonecrop Avenue were evacuated. The Greely Community Centre was opened as a shelter for residents forced to leave due to the crash. ‘A big crash and a bang’ Trisha Presley lives steps away from the scene and heard the crash from her backyard. “The rattling noise just became a big crash and a bang,” she said, adding that she heard a hissing sound as she was calling 911. Firefighters soon told her she needed to evacuate. “We frantically just grabbed a bunch of stuff. We didn’t know how long we were going to be able to be away from or what, so I just grabbed my dogs.” The city ordered pizza, coffee and tea to those spending hours at the community centre. “They brought out some games and stuff for us to play, they were bringing water out for all of the dogs, keeping us updated. Everybody was really, really, really helpful,” Presley said. A member of the Ottawa Fire Services HazMat team and a propane technician “entered the hot zone” to assess the tanker truck and ensure all valves were closed. “Once it was confirmed that the tank was in acceptable condition with no indication of further leaking, the decision was made to right the tanker without first emptying its propane,” DeFazio said. The tanker was moved to an upright position at 2:38 a.m. Wednesday and officials determined the tanker could be towed away from the scene. Residents living between 400 and 800 metres of the crash scene were allowed to return home at 2:40 a.m., and all remaining evacuation orders were lifted at 3:30 a.m. In an update on Facebook at 3:15 a.m., Osgoode Coun. Isabelle Skalski said the situation had been resolved. “Big thank you to the Ottawa Fire Service, the Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Paramedic Services, Emergency Preparedness, facilities and other city staff for all you did tonight,” Skalski said. Parkway Road reopened at 4:15 a.m. The Ottawa Fire Services’ special operations chief said Transport Canada regulations required the evacuation of homes within an 800-metre radius of the crash scene. Dan Kirvan said the most hazardous part of the operation was completed once the truck was back on its wheels. “The truck was breached. One of the hoses broke off, so it did have about a one-inch hole,” Kirvan told CTV News Ottawa’s Katie Griffin Wednesday morning. “That product was coming through at one point, so you can smell the propane.” Truck driver charged with careless driving Kirvan said the HazMat Team doing air detection and atmospheric monitoring could see the propane was “at a level that could be flammable.” “The other thing that happens is when a pressurized vessel is compromised, you can get an explosive event if there’s an issue, and that’s why it’s so big,” Kirvan said about the evacuation zone. “As we mitigate risks, we’re closing down that area because we want to get people home as quickly as possible.” The driver of the truck was not injured in the crash. Police say the driver was charged with careless driving under the Highway Traffic Act. CTV News Ottawa reached out to W.O. Stinson, the owner of the truck, but did not hear back. “The investigation is ongoing,” police said on Wednesday. With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Katie Griffin
