Driver dead, students injured after school bus crash on Highway 401 near London
A tragic crash on Highway 401 near London, Ontario, has left a school bus driver dead and several students injured, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirmed on Sunday.
The single-vehicle crash occurred around 9:40 a.m. in the westbound lanes between Veterans Memorial Parkway and Highbury Avenue. The highway was shut down for several hours before reopening just after 4:30 p.m.
According to OPP Const. Steven Duguay, the bus carrying 42 passengers — mostly Grade 9 students — veered off the road before tipping over into a ditch. Four students were transported to hospital with minor injuries, while the 52-year-old driver from Waterloo region was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We’ve got 42 passengers on board that school bus, four of which were transported to hospital with minor injuries,” Duguay said, adding that it’s too early to determine whether a medical emergency or mechanical failure caused the crash.
Students describe terrifying moments
The students were from Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (KCI) and were en route to Point Pelee National Park for a multi-day school trip.
At the East Lions Community Centre, set up as a reunification site, emotional parents embraced their children as police and school officials coordinated next steps.
Charlotte Weldon, 13, recalled the frightening moments before the crash.
“Something hit it. The whole bus just kept going right, and then it ended up sideways in a ditch. We opened the emergency hatch and everyone was helping people get out,” she said, still covered in mud.
Twin sisters Maddie and Lily Knight also described the chaos inside the overturned bus.
“We saw wood flying, and then we swerved into the ditch,” said Maddie. “Everyone fell on me because I was on the side that hit the ground.”
Parents said the scene was traumatic but were grateful their children escaped serious harm.
“It was not the morning we expected,” said their mother, Linnea Knight. “We just need to really be looking at the safe ways we can get our kids to these educational experiences.”
Investigation underway, support for students
Police said evidence markers near the scene indicated the bus may have struck a temporary construction sign before rolling over, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
The Waterloo Region District School Board confirmed that a second bus carrying other students was rerouted back to KCI.
In a statement, Director of Education Scott Miller said the board is in contact with families and will provide counselling and support for affected students.
As investigators piece together what happened, parents and community members are calling for renewed attention to school bus safety standards — ensuring no classroom trip ever ends in tragedy again.
