Yesterday an old dump truck shoved a Mini up one of the Gardiner Expressway on-ramps in Toronto, Canada. Sideways. This went on for almost half-a-mile. The woman driving the Mini had no idea what or why it happened. Today we know more.

Both TV and newspapers have since interviewed the woman driving the Mini. She was at a stoplight with the dump truck behind her waiting to get on the expressway. Courtenay Erhardt is a nurse and was headed to a homeless shelter to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. 

“The dump truck shoved my rear-end, and unfortunately, I went sideways”

As the two merged onto the Expressway the dump truck hit the Mini. She told CTV News Toronto, “The dump truck just sort of bumped my rear-end, and unfortunately, I went sideways. The truck just continued to go up the ramp. I just remember holding my horn and my steering wheel and just screaming, just like bawling and screaming. I honestly didn’t know if my Mini was going to flip or veer out into oncoming traffic on the Gardiner (Expressway).”

All of the time she wondered why he wasn’t stopping. A couple in a car behind the dump truck saw smoke coming out from under the truck. They pulled up next to the Mini and seeing what was happening pulled ahead of the truck to force it to stop. Then they called 911.

The young driver of the truck jumped out and told them he hadn’t seen them. He then asked that the police not be called and that he would pay for the damage. When the police did show up the driver was charged with “several offenses.”

“Drivers should make sure they can see the truck driver”

The police later issued a statement which said in part, “Operators of large vehicles do not have the benefit of such lower/smaller vehicles in their ability to see out of windows in all directions.” It went on to say that drivers should make sure they can see the truck driver because that means the truck driver can also see them. 

What seems strange is that the truck driver couldn’t hear the squealing tires and see the smoke coming from the Mini’s tires? Also, couldn’t the driver have felt the added drag and the additional power necessary to push the Mini? Some say these trucks have so much torque that it is reasonable for the driver not to notice the extra power needed to push the Mini. 

“Honestly, I believe the reason I’m here doing this interview is because of how well-made Mini Coopers are. It’s beaten up completely and I think it’s a write-off, but it saved my life. My airbags didn’t even go off,” said Erhardt. “It’s amazing. I’m so grateful.” This could make for a great Mini commercial with an endorsement like this.