Richard J. Brennan NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER
Toronto Star
Provincial police and Brinks employees were on the scene of a serious multiple-vehicle accident north of Kirkland Lake Tuesday for many hours guarding millions of dollars worth of loonies and toonies spilled onto Highway 11.
OPP Inspector Mark Andrews told the Toronto Star Wednesday the load of coins is unofficially reported to be worth at least $3 million and added there were unconfirmed reports of some passersby helping themselves.
“There is lots of security there now,” he said, adding the road was expected to be opened until late into the evening or early Thursday.
Andrews said two occupants of the Brinks tractor trailer are in serious condition in hospital after it went out of control and struck a rock face shortly before 4 a.m. The Brinks truck was then struck by a van and a tractor trailer, which spilled its cargo of candies on the roadway as well.
“We weren’t able to get the second person out the Brinks vehicle until well after 8 a.m. It took quite a bit of time to cut them out,” he said.
An industry source told the Star that Brinks and other security firms use tractor trailers for hauling coins intra-provincially because of the weight where paper money is almost always shipped by air.
Andrews, the OPP’s traffic and marine manager for northeastern region, said the two vehicles tried to avoid the wrecked Brinks truck but ended up smashing into it just south of Ramore, between Kirkland Lake and South Porcupine. Occupants of the second tractor trailer and the van escaped serious injury.
“Armoured vehicles have been involved in collisions before but they are usually not compromised so that may give you an indication of the severity of the impact,” said Andrews, a 28-year veteran of the OPP.
“We have never had a high value load like this spilled … we have never had a Brinks truck of any nature ever split open on us before.”
Andrews noted that because the highway is only two lanes and the accident was in a remote area there was no opportunity for a detour, adding that northbound traffic was being rerouted to Highway 17. In addition, police also called the provincial environment ministry because the truck’s saddle tanks ruptured spilling diesel fuel.
Andrews told the Star “we told anecdotally that there may have been some people when things initially started to unfold” who helped themselves to some coins “but I am hoping that it was more speculation than it was fact.”
“I am really hopeful that proves to be a falsehood that people weren’t jamming stuff into their pockets while there were people screaming for help,” he said.
Brinks could not be reached for comment.
Toronto Star
Provincial police and Brinks employees were on the scene of a serious multiple-vehicle accident north of Kirkland Lake Tuesday for many hours guarding millions of dollars worth of loonies and toonies spilled onto Highway 11.
OPP Inspector Mark Andrews told the Toronto Star Wednesday the load of coins is unofficially reported to be worth at least $3 million and added there were unconfirmed reports of some passersby helping themselves.
“There is lots of security there now,” he said, adding the road was expected to be opened until late into the evening or early Thursday.
Andrews said two occupants of the Brinks tractor trailer are in serious condition in hospital after it went out of control and struck a rock face shortly before 4 a.m. The Brinks truck was then struck by a van and a tractor trailer, which spilled its cargo of candies on the roadway as well.
“We weren’t able to get the second person out the Brinks vehicle until well after 8 a.m. It took quite a bit of time to cut them out,” he said.
An industry source told the Star that Brinks and other security firms use tractor trailers for hauling coins intra-provincially because of the weight where paper money is almost always shipped by air.
Andrews, the OPP’s traffic and marine manager for northeastern region, said the two vehicles tried to avoid the wrecked Brinks truck but ended up smashing into it just south of Ramore, between Kirkland Lake and South Porcupine. Occupants of the second tractor trailer and the van escaped serious injury.
“Armoured vehicles have been involved in collisions before but they are usually not compromised so that may give you an indication of the severity of the impact,” said Andrews, a 28-year veteran of the OPP.
“We have never had a high value load like this spilled … we have never had a Brinks truck of any nature ever split open on us before.”
Andrews noted that because the highway is only two lanes and the accident was in a remote area there was no opportunity for a detour, adding that northbound traffic was being rerouted to Highway 17. In addition, police also called the provincial environment ministry because the truck’s saddle tanks ruptured spilling diesel fuel.
Andrews told the Star “we told anecdotally that there may have been some people when things initially started to unfold” who helped themselves to some coins “but I am hoping that it was more speculation than it was fact.”
“I am really hopeful that proves to be a falsehood that people weren’t jamming stuff into their pockets while there were people screaming for help,” he said.
Brinks could not be reached for comment.
