School Bus Driver Charged for Crash in Ontario

INNISFIL, Ontario — Officers have charged a school bus driver after a collision between his bus and a pickup truck sent several students to the hospital.

The incident occurred around 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday at an intersection in Innisfil, north of Toronto. According to CTV News, police said that conditions were foggy.

The South Simcoe Police Service said in a press release that officers arrived on scene and found the school bus on its side. Paramedics, fire and rescue personnel, and inspectors from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation also responded to the scene.

The South Simcoe Police Service said that 14 high school students were on board the school bus when the crash occurred. Three students were taken to the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, including one student who was airlifted to a Toronto hospital. Other students and the drivers from both vehicles were also taken to local hospitals as a precaution.

The intersection was closed for about five hours while police collision reconstructionists conducted an investigation and gathered evidence. Officials from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and a licensed mechanic assisted by conducting mechanical examinations of both vehicles. Police said that excessive speed and mechanical failure were ruled out as causes of the crash.

Officers found that the eastbound school bus collided with the northbound pickup truck after the bus failed to stop for a posted stop sign. The school bus driver, a 73-year-old man whose name was not released, was charged with disobeying a stop sign — failing to stop. He is slated to appear in court in November.

COLLISION UPDATE #3: * new info* Collision happened at 7:45 am. 15 students on board taken to hospital as precaution. 3 students w/ serious but non-life threatening injuries. 1of the 3 transported to #TO hospital via @Ornge. Bus and pickup drivers taken to hospital as precaution pic.twitter.com/tR5gquUPp2

— South Simcoe Police (@SouthSimcoePS) September 12, 2018