A Toronto construction worker is being hailed a hero after a school bus with children on board flipped over following a collision with a SUV in the city’s downtown core Wednesday morning.
The crash happened around 9 a.m. at the intersection of Richmond Street East and Berkeley Street south of Queen Street.
Toronto police said there were five children between the ages of five and seven on board the bus when it rolled over.
WATCH: Driver charged after crashing into school bus in downtown Toronto. Lama Nicolas reports.
“The white Ford SUV was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed and may have possibly gone through a red light at Berkeley,” Sgt. Neil Thornton told reporters at the scene. “The school bus was traveling northbound on Berkeley and they both collided.”
Edward Letitchever, a construction worker in the area, told Global News he and his partner were on a break when they witnessed the collision.
“From no where, the SUV shows up on full speed and rammed into the bus,” Letitchever said. “I closed my eye for a second and next thing the bus is flipped. I stood for a second and I realized it was a school bus.”
LISTEN: Ontario Safety League President Brian Patterson discusses bus safety on AM640.
Letitchever, who is a father of three, said he didn’t hesitate to jump in and help.
“As soon as I heard a cry I wasn’t even thinking twice. I unlocked the door in the back of the bus and I climbed into it,” he said. “I saw the kids hanging down. Some of them were on the floor.”
“I was lifting the children and untying the seat belts then passing the children to the other people outside. They were all terrified, crying.”
“It happened so fast I wasn’t even thinking about the bus is on fire or something. In my head, it’s children and they were crying.”
Jane Roos, who operates an art gallery near the intersection, told Global News she helped house the kids in her office until paramedics arrived.
“It was a lot for these kids because they’re mentally challenged,” Ross said. “It would be crazy for anybody but they were trying to process it and understand what was going on.”
“Some were crying. They were scared. They felt overwhelmed. They didn’t know why their bus was turned over.”
Ross said her daughter and a neighbour next door tried to occupy the children and take their minds off the traumatic incident.
“My little girl was bringing down her toys,” she said. “Just trying to soothe them. Our neighbour Therese came over and everybody just kind of helped them out.”
Toronto EMS said all of the children were taken to The Hospital for Sick Children with minor injuries. The driver of the bus and the SUV were not injured.
Police said the kids were being transported to Market Lane Public School when the bus crashed.
VIDEO: Construction worker rescues children from overturned school bus
“The bus does weigh a considerable amount. For it to actually flip, if the kids didn’t have seat belts on, I think they would have ended up having some significant injuries,” Thornton said.
Area residents tell Global News the street has seen multiple collisions.
“They sometimes run the reds on Richmond,” Sam Klarreich said. “People on Berkeley don’t know whether they’re coming or going half the time. There’s arrows telling them which way to go. They disregard it. They also make lefts off reds.”
VIDEO: Video shows firefighters respond to a school bus rollover in downtown Toronto
Others say Richmond Street in the area has become a hazard as vehicles turn off from the Don Valley Parkway.
“The street is one way and people rush to beat the lights, ” Robert Cishecki said. “This has been going on for years.”
The driver of the SUV has been charged with careless driving.
Comments