Ottawa firefighters sector chief saves driver from vehicle during snowstorm

A single-vehicle crash on Old Montreal Road in Ottawa on March 29, 2025. (Ottawa Fire Services)

An Ottawa Fire Services sector chief was in the right place at the right time to help rescue a driver who was stuck inside their car after a crash during a snowstorm early Saturday morning.

A news release from Ottawa fire says firefighter Marc Lalonde was returning from a motor vehicle crash at about 12:24 a.m. when he noticed a vehicle on its roof in the 1700 block of Old Montreal Road.

The exhaust of the vehicle was smoking and a hydro pole had been sheared off in the single-vehicle crash, blocking the eastbound lane, Ottawa fire said.

Lalonde could hear someone yelling for help and proceeded to break the passenger side rear window where he found the driver inside.

He then placed the airbags over the broken glass to protect the driver and was able to safely extricate them from the vehicle.

Ottawa firefighters arriving at the scene were able to put the driver in the back of one of their

trucks until paramedics arrived.

Ottawa fire says the driver’s injuries were minor. A spokesperson for the Ottawa Paramedic Service confirmed one person was taken to hospital.

Firefighters removed the hydro pole from the middle of the road for traffic to continue normally.

The crash comes as police responded to close to 70 collisions in eastern Ontario between midnight and 9 a.m. as a result of icy road conditions.

Police are urging people to avoid travel this weekend as dangerous road conditions are expected to continue with more snow and freezing rain in the forecast.