Ottawa police on scene of an apparent fatal accident between a bus carrying school children and a van at the corner of March Valley Rd and Klondike Rd in Kanata. This view is from the corner of Klondike looking east along March Valley Rd to where the bus and car are located, about 30 metres from the corner. Reports suggest the fatality was the van driver and that the children only received minor injuries if at all.

The driver of an SUV is dead after a collision with a school bus that was carrying 32 children.

“The children are fine,” the Ottawa police said after the crash. One 17-year-old was taken to hospital with what police called minor injuries.

Emergency services responded to call at 4:11 p.m. about a collision between an SUV and a school bus at the intersection of March Valley Road and Klondike Road in Kanata, near Shirley’s Bay.

Ottawa Fire Services were notified that there was “possibly a person trapped” in the SUV, but said that extrication had been delayed until police were able to take over the scene.

According to a tweet from Ottawa police, the male driver of the van did not have vital signs when they arrived on the scene.

While the school bus appeared to be relatively undamaged, there was significant damage to the SUV.

Police did not release any information on the age or identity of the SUV driver.

Danielle Cardinal, a spokesperson for Ottawa Fire Services, said that most of the children on the bus were between five and 10 years of age, and that by 4:30 they had all been transported to a secure vehicle.

Police closed the intersection to conduct their investigation. The intersection remained closed at 10 p.m., but police said they expected it to reopen by morning. 

Ottawa police on scene of a fatal accident between a bus carrying school children and a van at the corner of March Valley Rd and Klondike Rd in Kanata. This view is from the corner of Klondike looking east along March Valley Rd to where the bus and car are located, about 30 metres from the corner.

Ottawa police on scene of a fatal accident between a bus carrying school children and a van at the corner of March Valley Rd and Klondike Rd in Kanata. Ottawa police on scene of a fatal accident between a bus carrying school children and a van at the corner of March Valley Rd and Klondike Rd in Kanata. This view is from the corner of Klondike looking east along March Valley Rd to where the bus and car are located, about 30 metres from the corner. Ottawa police on scene of a fatal accident between a bus carrying school children and a van at the corner of March Valley Rd and Klondike Rd in Kanata.