Man dead after flying wheel strikes coach bus on QEW: OPP
One man has died and three others were taken to hospital in serious condition after a flying wheel hit a coach bus on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) in St. Catharines Friday, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say.
Emergency crews were called to the QEW near the Garden City Skyway bridge at 3:40 p.m. for report of a three-vehicle collision, OPP said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter.
In a news release Friday, investigators said a passenger van lost a wheel on the highway headed to Toronto, which struck a pick up truck in the Niagara bound lanes, before going through the windshield of a coach bus.
A 47-year-old Toronto man, who was on the bus, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to OPP. Police previously said the man was 48 years old.
In an email to CBC Toronto on Saturday, police said the driver of the van, a 45-year-old male from New York state, was charged with operating an unsafe motor vehicle in connection with the collision.
Two other passengers on the bus were taken to hospital with minor injuries, OPP said. They previously said three passengers were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The stretch of the highway was temporarily closed Friday night for police investigation before reopening shortly after 11 p.m.
Investigation into collision underway
In a statement Saturday, Great Canadian Coaches, the company operating the coach bus, said it was carrying a group from Toronto for Safeway Tours.
"The driver did a remarkable job keeping the vehicle under control and brought the coach to a safe stop on the side of the highway," the company said.
The condition of the other passengers who were hit is currently unknown, it added.
"The motorcoach sustained minor damage and was towed to a repair facility. The remaining 34 passengers were transported by another coach carrying Safeway Tours passengers and returned to Toronto."
An investigation is ongoing, and police ask anyone with information to contact investigators.
