Five young children were killed when their family's van collided with an SUV in a rural area north of Kitchener on Friday night, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
Crash Details
Officers, local firefighters, and paramedics responded to the two-vehicle collision at the intersection of 4th Line and Wellington Road 12 in Mapleton Township, near Conestogo Lake, around 7:30 p.m.
Wellington County OPP Const. Matt Burton said in a video posted early Saturday on X that a van and an SUV collided at the intersection, resulting in multiple occupants sustaining serious, life-threatening injuries alongside several fatalities. Several individuals were transported to local hospitals with serious injuries, and three patients were taken via air ambulance to various trauma centres.
The OPP Traffic Incident Management Enforcement Team is on scene and assisting with the investigation.
Victims and Injuries
Five children—aged 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12—were killed in the crash. The van carried nine family members, including the children's parents, grandmother, and a 15-month-old sibling. The mother was critically injured and remained in a Hamilton hospital, while the father was in stable condition at a Listowel hospital. The SUV driver suffered broken legs and was being treated at a Hamilton hospital.
Investigation Ongoing
News footage showed both vehicles had left the roadway and come to rest in fields. The van was badly mangled, and the SUV was on its roof. The intersection was shut down through the night for the investigation.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information, such as dashcam footage, is asked to contact Wellington County OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
