Significant damage after transport drives into building in Listowel, Ont.

It’s not the way anyone in Listowel, Ont. planned on starting their morning, after a tractor trailer careened off Main Street, jumped the sidewalk, and plowed into the storefronts of a number of downtown businesses.

“Definitely an eye-opener for a Friday morning, an interesting way to start the weekend,” says Brendan Hall, store manager at Corley’s Sports, one of the businesses damaged.

Emergency crews were called to the scene of the downtown crash shortly before 8 a.m. to find part of the passenger side of the tractor trailer cab firmly embedded into the front doors of Diana Sweets Restaurant, in the heart of Listowel’s downtown.

“Luckily for us, Corley’s Sports, we didn’t have much damage. I’m really feeling for Diana Sweets and the Clothing Loft, hopefully they can come out of this OK,” says Hall.

Three residents living above the damaged storefronts were displaced by the crash.

The tractor trailer driver suffered non-life threatening injuries and was treated in hospital.

Police officials say they’re still trying to piece together exactly what led the tractor trailer to end up inside Listowel’s downtown.

“Luckily there were no other people involved. No pedestrians on the sidewalk that were impacted at the time. The mornings can be a busy time in Listowel, with kids on their way to school and other individuals here, so we are fortunate that no other vehicles or people were involved,” says Const. Jillian Johnson of the Perth County OPP.

CTV News London did speak to the owner of the trucking company involved.

The owner says the driver told him he wasn’t feeling well before the crash and passed out, waking up after he hit the building.

The owner added that the driver thinks he had a seizure, however emergency officials would not confirm details about the cause of the crash or state of the driver. An investigation is ongoing.

By mid-afternoon a tow truck had arrived to carefully remove the tractor trailer from the storefronts.

It’s not immediately clear how long the damaged businesses will remain closed, or the residents above the stores displaced. It could be days or possibly even weeks.

“It’s tough to say. They’re checking the structural integrity of the buildings, but for the time being, we’re probably going to be shut down for a bit, just with the damage alone,” says Hall.

The crash closed Listowel's Main Street for much of the day between Wallace Avenue and Livingston Avenue.

#PerthOPP, @NorthPerthFire, and #PerthEMS currently on scene of a collision on Main St W, Listowel. Road is closed between Wallace Ave and Livingston Ave. Please avoid the area.@NorthPerth1 @PerthCounty
^jj pic.twitter.com/vfJ500lB7M

— OPP West Region (@OPP_WR) January 21, 2022