The Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed several children were killed in a Mapleton Township crash.
OPP said the collision happened on Friday night at the intersection of 4th Line and Wellington Road 12 near Conestogo Lake, north of Kitchener, Ont.
First responders were called to the collision involving an SUV and a van around 7:30 p.m. They said multiple people from the vehicles had life-threatening injuries and there were “several fatalities.” There were 10 people in the van and one person in the SUV.
On Saturday afternoon, police confirmed five children who were in the van died in the crash. The children were aged 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. They were all related.
“Four adults and one infant sustained serious injuries and remain in hospital,” West Region OPP Chief Superintendent Dwight Thib said Saturday afternoon. “The driver of the SUV was also transported with serious injuries and also remains in hospital.”
Earlier in the day, police had told CTV News the children’s grandmother, both parents and a 15-month old sibling were in the van. The mother is in critical condition at a Hamilton hospital while the father is said to be in stable condition at a hospital in Listowel.
Police also said the driver of the SUV broke their legs. They are at a hospital in Hamilton.
The identity of the fourth injured adult was not given.
“This is an unimaginable loss. On behalf of the Ontario Provincial Police, I extend our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones and the community during this incredibly difficult time,” Thib said.
Thib confirmed the family was from the Elmira area.
“At this time, the investigation remains ongoing. OPP West Region traffic incident management and enforcement team are working diligently to determine the full circumstances surrounding this fatal motor vehicle collision," Thib said.
The intersection was closed for several hours, and reopened at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford commented on the crash on Saturday. In a social media post he wrote, “My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the children who were killed in the traffic collision that took place yesterday in Mapleton Township, and with those currently being cared for in hospital.”
“This heartbreaking loss is being felt across the community and the entire province. Let’s all stand together with those who are grieving during this terrible time,” the post concluded.
