Driver dead, kids injured after school bus crash on Highway 401 near London, Ont.
A school bus driver has died and four children have been taken to hospital with minor injuries following a school bus crash off the westbound lanes of Highway 401 in London, Ont., Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced Sunday.
The single-vehicle collision happened around 9:40 a.m., according to OPP Const. Steven Duguay, who said the bus veered off the highway before tipping over and coming to a stop.
The school bus driver was pronounced dead on scene, according to Duguay. He said it’s too early in the investigation to determine what caused the driver’s death.
Within two hours of the crash, police set up a command centre for the incident at the East Lions Community Centre in southeast London, where teary-eyed parents could be seen reuniting with their children on Sunday afternoon.
Linnea Knight said she was on the road almost as soon as her husband received a call from her twin daughters Maddie and Lily Knight.
“It was not the morning we expected. Maddie was freaking out and everyone was freaking out, and it just sounded loud [over the phone]. I ran upstairs, grabbed a sweater and my keys, and said ‘Where am I going?’” she said.
“We were at the back of the bus, we saw wood flying, and then after that we swerved down into the ditch,” Maddie said. “Everyone fell on me because I was on the side that hit the ground.”
The sisters said they believed the the bus hit a sign before rolling over and sliding. Police evidence markers could be seen alongside what appeared to be a destroyed temporary construction sign.
It’s unclear exactly how the crash happened, but several students and parents said the driver appeared to experience a medical emergency.
“I can’t confirm it was a medical episode or not,” Duguay said. “We don’t know if it was mechanical, if it was medical, or what transpired at this time.”
Happy to be bringing her daughters home mostly unscathed, Linnea said she hopes the crash spurs conversations about school bus safety.
“We just need to really be looking at the safe ways that we can get our kids to these educational experiences,” Linnea said.
In a written statement, Waterloo Region District School Board said “staff have been in touch with the parents, families and caregivers of the students on the bus, and are coordinating next steps to return these students to be picked up.”
Supports will be offered to students in navigating the situation, the school board said.
