LAVAL, QB: Two children are dead and six others were hospitalized after a city bus smashed into a daycare Wednesday morning in Laval, just north of Montreal.
Laval police said the 51-year-old man driving the bus was arrested at the scene of the crash and confirmed six injured children remained in hospital in the early afternoon, but their lives are not in danger.
The driver, a 51-year-old man who was employed with the Société de transport de Laval (STL), was arrested and is facing reckless driving and homicide charges.
Around 8:30 a.m., the bus from the Société de transport de Laval (STL) drove into the GarderieÉducative de Sainte-Rose in the Sainte-Rose neighbourhood on Terrasse Dufferin.
A neighbour who witnessed the crash said he and a group of parents tried to rescue children pinned under the bus and managed to subdue the driver, who was acting erratically.
Laval police spokesperson Erika Landry said two children are confirmed dead, one at the scene. Urgences-santé confirmed 12 people were injured, including six other children who are recovering in hospital but are expected to survive. One adult was also taken to hospital to be treated for shock.
Dr. Marc Girard, the director of professional services at Sainte-Justine Hospital, said at an afternoon news conference that the hospital received four victims, all preschool-age children, two boys and two girls.
The children were conscious when they arrived at the hospital, but were suffering from various traumatic injuries, Girard said. They are now recovering and in stable condition, he said.
“My heart is with the people of Laval today. No words can take away the pain and fear that parents, children, and workers are feeling – but we are here for you. I’m keeping everyone affected by this unfathomable, tragic event in my thoughts said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“The unthinkable has happened in Laval – a parent’s worst nightmare. Early reports of this developing situation have horrified me, and my thoughts are with all the families affected,” said Governor General of Canada.
