Two killed aiding accident victims

A Special Investigations Unit photographer takes photos of two vehicles involved in a crash on Trafalgar Road, between Five Sideroad and 10 Sideroad Monday morning. Two people were killed and another seriously injured after coming to the aid of a driver whose van (left) flipped over in the east ditch. The driver of a northbound car (right) struck the trio before coming to rest in the ditch.

While waiting for access to the fatal accident scene on Trafalgar Road Monday afternoon, Independent & Free Press photographer Ted Brown had a near-miss as a southbound mini-van ran through the police road block and came to rest on top of a metre-high snow bank, narrowly missing the front driver's side corner of

Brown's vehicle. At the time, conditions at the Trafalgar Road and 10 Sideroad intersection were approaching zero visibility, as police officers laid flares in an attempt to alert southbound traffic of the road closure.

Man, woman struck by car during white-out on Trafalgar Road

Two good Samaritans-- a man from Ballinafad and an Acton woman-- are dead after rushing to the aid of occupants of an overturned van in the ditch on Trafalgar Rd. during whiteout conditions Monday morning. Just minutes after they and other citizens helped to free a Georgetown woman and child from the Honda van Richard Pyman, 49, and Elyse Schultz, 54, died from injuries they suffered when they were struck by a car. They were standing behind a police cruiser on the east shoulder of Trafalgar Rd., north of Five Sideroad. Halton Regional Police Sgt. Peter Payne said Pyman, of Ballinafad, Schultz, of Acton, and other citizens were already at the northbound van that had lost control and rolled over into the ditch attempting to free the van's occupants when a Halton Police officer arrived shortly before 11 a.m. He was responding to another accident involving a Taurus and commercial truck that had occurred nearby. Knowing there were no injuries in that accident, Payne said the officer immediately responded to the overturned van, parked the cruiser on the east shoulder of the road with the roof lights activated, and rushed to help the citizens get the occupants out. After successfully freeing the mother and child, the officer and citizens escorted them from the ditch and placed them in the cruiser. The citizens and officer were standing about two feet behind the cruiser when the officer saw a northbound Ford Focus coming towards them. Payne said he yelled to the citizens to get out of the way, but three of them were struck by the Focus, driven by a 71-year-old Ancaster man. After hitting the citizens, the Focus struck the cruiser, then flipped over and landed in the ditch against the overturned van. Payne said the officer and the other citizen escaped being hit by mere inches. The mother and child in the cruiser received minor injuries when the cruiser was struck, and the driver of the Focus also suffered minor injuries. They were treated and released from hospital. Pyman died Monday at Georgetown Hospital. Schultz was taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where she died Tuesday morning.

A 39-year-old Fonthill woman, who was also helping to free the trapped occupants of the van, was taken to Hamilton General Hospital, where Tuesday she was reported in critical but stable condition. The Special Investigations Unit was called in Monday to investigate the accident due to the involvement of police in an incident resulting in serious injury or death. Nine SIU investigators investigated the conduct of the officer surrounding the collision and on Tuesday the SIU determined there were no reasonable grounds to conclude the officer committed any criminal offence in the collision. Payne said Pyman, Schultz, and the other citizens who came to the aid of the woman and child in the van "went way beyond" what many others would have done. "This was a selfless and heroic act on the part of the individuals that stopped to help this woman and her young child. It is tragic their lives were lost under any circumstances, however, the families can take pride in knowing that they gave of themselves so willingly to help others." Payne said the police officer who witnessed the accident is "quite shaken." "He is very proud of the citizens who were there with him," said Payne. Pyman's family is devastated by the loss, but his older brother Walter of Mississauga, was not surprised he had stopped to help. "That was so much like my brother," he said. "That's him. He's that kind of guy. Anybody down on their luck, he would have helped." Pyman was married to Andrea and had two teenage boys-- Shane and Blake. He said they have lived on a large Ballinafad property for the past five years. "Everything he enjoyed in his life, from his work to his family, he put all his passion into it," said Pyman's brother. He said Pyman, a producer of several television shows for TSN, and Sportsnet, was on the way to Pyman Studios, his company in Mississauga, when he stopped to help the occupants of the van. Pyman is also the president of the Inglewood Minor Hockey League and was a coach as well. Mike Schultz, Elyse's husband, said she was enjoying a day off from the Bank of Montreal in Acton on Monday and heading southbound on Trafalgar Rd. when she stopped to help. "It doesn't surprise me, because that's the type of person she was," he said. Schultz said his wife cared about her customers at the bank. Her current job was dealing with loans and mortgages in the Acton branch. He said last year she had been recognized by BMO for being an exemplary employee for 25 years. The couple enjoyed hiking the Bruce Trail and had a "perfect day" Sunday cross-country skiing and attending the Georgetown Hospital fundraiser at Scaramouche restaurant in Toronto. "She was a very curious person. She loved to read and took a great interest in people and simple pleasures." She is survived by her husband and their two children Jennifer and David. At press times funeral details for Schultz and Pyman were not available. Halton Police continue to investigate the accident.