Multiple people sent to hospital following accident involving shuttle bus, tractor on Wolfe Island

Update (Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021 at 3:22 p.m.):

The Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed that the spraying arm of a tractor pierced through the Wolfe Island shuttle bus in an accident that is currently under investigation.

The arm of the tractor went through the front windshield of the bus on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, an then through a driver’s side side window near the back of the bus. However, according to Const. Erin Cranston of the OPP East Region, all injuries sustained during the incident were minor in nature. Cranston said that four people were transported to Kingston General Hospital by Frontenac Paramedics, and that the OPP are currently investigating the cause of the accident.

Traffic backlogs continue on both sides of the Wolfe Island Ferry route (in downtown Kingston and at Dawson Point on Wolfe Island), and residents are asked to avoid the areas if possible to help ease the congestion.

Original article:

An accident involving the Wolfe Island shuttle bus and a large piece of farming equipment has sent multiple people to hospital, and resulted in major traffic backlogs, both on the Island and on mainland Kingston.

The accident occurred just after 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, at Dawson Point, a short distance from where the Wolfe Island Ferry currently loads and unloads passengers on the Island. Initial reports indicate that at least three people were sent to hospital by Frontenac Paramedics, however, multiple ambulances were sent to the Island from the mainland, and, as of 2:45 p.m., were loaded back onto the Ferry and returning to Kingston. It is unclear how many of those ambulances were transporting patients at this time.

Initial reports from the Ontario Provincial Police indicated “minor injuries,” however, Kingstonist is currently awaiting confirmation of the details being provided by those on the Island, which indicate a large arm on a tractor went through the shuttle bus. Witnesses who posted about the incident to social media reported that a spraying arm on the tractor pierced the shuttle bus and went directly through the vehicle. It is unknown at this time how the accident occurred.

The shuttle bus was implemented on Wolfe Island earlier this summer to assist in getting Ferry passengers to and from Marysville, or “The Village” of the Island. The Ferry usually docks at Marysville in the summer, however, is currently docking year-round at Dawson Point during the construction of the new ferry dock at Marysville.

As of 2:55 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, traffic at both the Dawson Point ferry dock and the ferry dock in downtown Kingston was backed up after the rerouting of the Ferry to transport patients by ambulance via the Ferry as quickly as possible. Currently, Wolfe Island Fire crews remain at the accident scene.

Kingstonist will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as information becomes available.