Crash on Portage Avenue topples light standard, reroutes traffic

Police say there were no injuries after a dramaticWednesday afternoon crash on Portage Avenue, in which a vehiclecrossed the centre median nearYoung Street, toppled a light standard and slammed into a parked car.

Winnipeg police say they got a report of the incident at 12:34 p.m., and several units were sent to the scene.

A CBC producer who witnessed the crash said a sedan was travelling eastbound on Portage Avenue when it crossed the centre mediannear Young Street. That's when the sedan crashedinto a concrete planter with such force that the planter bounced into the westbound lanes and rolled over.

The sedan continued at high speed toward oncoming traffic in the westbound lanes and narrowly missed a parked car with a passenger inside in a loading zone in front of the CBC building.

The sedan turned sharplyand crashed into the light standard in the median at the intersection of Portage and St. Mary Avenue, toppling it.

The sedan continuedtowardoncoming traffic in the westbound lanes, then sharply turned again to cross back into the eastbound lanes, where itslammed into a parked car in front of a restaurant on the south side of Portage Avenue.

Eastbound traffic on Portage Avenue at St. Mary was being rerouted, police said early Wednesday afternoon.