A school bus driver has died and four students were taken to hospital after a single-vehicle crash on Highway 401 near London Sunday morning.
Police say the bus, carrying 42 passengers from Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School, was en route to Point Pelee for a geography trip when it veered into a ditch shortly after 9 a.m.
Students described chaos as the bus went off the road, with some helping each other escape through the emergency hatch. Emergency responders confirmed the 52-year-old driver from the Waterloo Region was pronounced dead at the scene. Four students sustained minor injuries and were transported to hospital.
While some witnesses reported the driver may have suffered a medical episode, police have not confirmed this. Investigators with the OPP’s traffic management team are working to determine the cause of the crash.
An emergency reunification centre was established at the East Lions Community Centre in London, where parents were reunited with their children. Officials emphasized that the centre is not accepting donations, as it is serving only as a meeting location.
The westbound lanes of Highway 401 near County Road 74 were closed for most of the day but reopened by late afternoon. Police are asking anyone with information or dashcam footage to contact Middlesex OPP.