Woman rescued from vehicle after Friday afternoon crash on London, Ont. bridge

An investigation is underway at after a vehicle rolled over on London, Ont.’s Kensington Bridge on Friday afternoon – and it’s a crash that is defying explanation.

According to the London Police Service on Twitter, police are investigating a collision on Kensington Bridge that occurred just after 2 p.m.

The bizarre crash drew a small group of onlookers, in which a vehicle on the one-way bridge rolled over and landed on its side.

The crash occurred on Kensington Bridge in the area where Dundas Street turns into Riverside Drive – it’s also the area where westbound traffic is directed into Harris Park, which leaves the bridge as a one-way route for eastbound traffic.

Emergency responders are seen on Kensington Bridge in London, Ont. on May 26, 2023 after a vehicle rolled over. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

Speaking to CTV News London at the scene, District Chief Shawn Davis of the London Fire Department said the single vehicle crash occurred when the car struck the bridge, rolled over on its side, and then became jammed between the bridge abutment and the sidewalk’s handrail.

According to witnesses, the male driver failed to recognize that they were driving in the wrong direction until they saw oncoming traffic. The driver then reportedly swerved, drove up the bridge structure, before toppling onto the sidewalk and sliding to a stop.

Ben Ko was taking his grandchildren to a nearby splash pad when he and others rushed to the scene to help.

"We thought it was just one person," Ko explained. "I didn't notice there was two until he said, ‘My wife was stuck.’”

Emergency responders are seen on Kensington Bridge in London, Ont. on May 26, 2023 after a vehicle rolled over. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)Emergency responders arrived soon after, with fire crews securing the vehicle and working to remove the woman from the vehicle.

"We had one occupant that was stuck inside the vehicle — elderly patient,” explained Davis. “We had to open up the vehicle, take out the back window, do a bit of a roof flap so we could get more access so we could get people in there to enable her to be pulled out.”

A full assessment will need to be completed, but initial evaluations indicated that injuries are not believed to be serious.

As a result of the crash the eastbound lanes were closed, and therefore police had asked the public to avoid the area.