The driver was charged. The union wants answers. Here is what happened — and what comes next for road worker safety in Ontario
A Toronto traffic agent died on October 29, 2026, after a dump truck hit him at an intersection in Thorncliffe Park. He was declared dead at Millwood Road and Overlea Boulevard.
According to police, the blue Kenworth truck was linked to a private company. It was turning left from Millwood Road onto Overlea Boulevard when it hit the agent. The 33-year-old driver stayed at the scene and spoke with investigators. He was charged with careless driving causing death under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act and is scheduled to appear in court on January 28, 2027.
Road worker safety obligations under Ontario law apply to employers of both ground workers and commercial vehicle operators.
What is the union calling for after the Toronto traffic agent’s death?
Yadollahi confirmed the union would be involved in the investigation to ensure all health and safety measures are fully examined. The union said its first priority is ensuring those affected have access to support and time to grieve.
Nas Yadollahi, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79, said around 20 traffic agents gathered near the scene. Yadollahi said traffic agents share the same occupational exposure — they work daily in high-traffic environments. “Every worker who leaves in the morning and goes to work absolutely should be able to come back home to their family and their loved ones,” she said.
Mayor Olivia Chow said traffic agents do some of the “most demanding work” in the city. City communications director Russell Baker confirmed support services were being made available to city staff. Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered his condolences to the agent’s family, loved ones, and co-workers.
What are employer OHS obligations for road worker safety in Ontario?
Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires employers to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers. Workers struck by vehicles on Ontario roads and highways have been the subject of multiple enforcement actions and prosecutions in the province.
Ontario’s enforcement record includes prosecutions involving trucks striking workers. Two Ontario firms were previously fined after a truck struck a worker acting as a signaller at a worksite. In that case, the driver was unaware the worker was positioned behind the vehicle. Both firms were found to have contravened the Occupational Health and Safety Act and were fined a combined $90,000.
According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Ontario, motor vehicle incidents were the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the province every year from 2011 to 2020. On average, they accounted for 31 percent of all allowed traumatic fatality claims.
What do the charges against the dump truck driver mean for the case?
The careless driving causing death charge under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act is a provincial offence. It does not preclude a separate investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development into whether any OHSA obligations were breached.
For employers of road workers and commercial vehicle operators, the incident is a reminder that Ontario’s OHSA requires every precaution reasonable to protect workers. Motor vehicle incidents remain the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the province, and trucks are involved in almost two-thirds of those fatalities. Ensuring workers are never placed in the path of turning heavy vehicles is not just best practice; it is a legal obligation.
