4 Chinese students, 1 woman killed in car crash near Toronto, officials say
Four teenagers and a woman were killed in a two-car crash in Huntsville on Saturday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
A statement from the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto, translated by a CBC News employee, said four Chinese students died in the car crash near Toronto.
Police said the woman, 42, was from Huntsville and the teenagers, between the ages of 15 to 17, were from Richmond Hill and North York.
On Monday, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare identified the woman who died as Jessica Ward and confirmed that she was an employee there.
Police received the call around 11:10 p.m. Saturday for a serious crash on Highway 60 near Hidden Valley Road, according to a news release issued on Sunday.
The OPP originally said four teenagers were pronounced dead at the scene while the woman died in hospital. But on Monday, police said the woman was pronounced dead at the scene while one of the teenagers was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The teenagers were heading westbound in a Mercedes SUV while the woman was heading eastbound in a Ford SUV, according to the OPP. The highway was closed for several hours while police investigated.
Families of students notified, consulate-general says
In a statement on Monday, the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto said it handles all car crashes involving Chinese citizens, and in this case, it immediately implemented emergency procedures and verified details with the police.
The consulate-general said it has notified the families of the students and expressed condolences.
The consulate-general said its office is keeping track of the incident and will endeavour to handle any follow-up matters. It said it would like to remind all students in Canada of the need for traffic safety.
Police, meanwhile, are asking anyone with footage of the collision to contact Huntsville OPP.
No other information was immediately released.
