Ontario Construction News staff writer
BARRIE – A 27-year-old woman is in stable condition at hospital after the SUV she was driving crashed through a fence and plunged into a construction site excavation behind Bayfield Mall on Wednesday evening.
Emergency crews were called to the site at 53 Coulter Street at about 7:20 p.m. The property is currently being developed into a 12-storey, 188-unit apartment building.
When firefighters, police and paramedics arrived, they found the SUV at the bottom of the excavation pit after it had broken through a perimeter fence and fallen an estimated 16 feet into the site.
Barrie Fire crews worked to safely extract the driver from the vehicle before assisting paramedics in lifting her out of the excavation using a ladder. She was transported to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre with non-life-threatening injuries and was later reported to be in stable condition.
Investigators noted that the construction site appeared to be properly secured, with a surrounding metal fence and warning markers in place at the time of the incident.
About two hours after the crash, crews successfully lifted the damaged SUV from the pit. Authorities have not yet determined what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and enter the construction site. The investigation remains ongoing.
No other injuries were reported.