Alcohol and speed factors in serious Merivale Road crash
Alcohol and speed were factors in a single-vehicle crash on Merivale Road that sent two men to hospital Friday morning, including one in critical condition, according to Ottawa police.
It happened near Colonnade Road at about 2:40 a.m., police said, when the driver lost control of his gray 4-door 2005 Nissan Altima.
The car struck a bridge support pole under the railroad overpass south of Colonnade Road.
The two men inside were trapped when emergency responders arrived, and firefighters worked to get them out.
A 24-year-old man was unconscious and in critical condition, suffering from "significant head and chest injuries," paramedics said in a media release.
A 20-year-old man was in serious but stable condition, suffering from "moderate head, neck, chest and back injuries," paramedics said.
Police said the driver remains in critical condition in hospital.
Merivale was closed between Colonnade and Roydon Place but has since reopened.
Police investigators are looking for witnesses to the collision as well as any information people may have about what happened prior to the collision.
