A 16-year-old boy was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre with life-threatening injuries after a fiery single-vehicle collision in rural north Whitby Thursday evening that also left a 17-year-old with minor injuries.
Durham Regional Police said an Audi sedan was travelling northbound on Duffs Road, south of Townline Road, around 8:30 p.m. Thursday when the driver lost control, went off the roadway and the vehicle caught fire. Officers arrived on the scene and discovered two occupants still inside the burning vehicle.
The 16-year-old was transported from the scene by AirOrnge air ambulance to a Toronto-area trauma centre with what were initially described as life-threatening injuries. His condition has since been upgraded to stable, according to police. The 17-year-old passenger was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and was treated and released.
Members of the Durham Police Collision Investigation Unit were dispatched to the scene and roads in the surrounding area were closed for several hours while investigators collected evidence and reconstructed the crash. Duffs Road south of Townline Road remained blocked well into the evening as officers worked to determine the cause of the collision.
The crash occurred in a rural stretch of north Whitby, where Duffs Road runs through farmland and open fields with a posted speed limit that is typically higher than residential areas. The section south of Townline Road has been the site of previous collisions, according to local residents.
Emergency responders from Whitby Fire and Emergency Services and Durham Region Paramedic Services also attended the scene to assist with extracting the occupants from the vehicle and providing immediate medical care. The quick response from emergency crews was credited with preventing the situation from becoming even more serious, as the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
The Durham Police Collision Investigation Unit is continuing its investigation into the circumstances leading up to the crash. Investigators are appealing to the public for any information that could assist with their work.
Anyone with cell phone footage, dash camera video, surveillance camera footage or any other information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Constable Lan of the Collision Investigation Unit at 1-888-579-1520 extension 5216.
The collision serves as a sobering reminder for drivers across Durham Region, particularly young and inexperienced drivers, about the importance of road safety and vehicle control, especially on rural roads where conditions can change quickly. With summer approaching and more young drivers on the roads, police are urging all motorists to exercise caution and obey posted speed limits.
The condition of the 16-year-old continues to be monitored by medical staff in Toronto and further updates will be provided as they become available from Durham Regional Police.
The fiery crash has shaken the local community, with residents in the north Whitby area expressing concern about safety on the rural stretch of Duffs Road. Several community members have previously raised questions about road conditions and speed limits in the area, particularly given the number of young drivers who use the route regularly.
