An Ontario Provincial Police officer driving an unmarked vehicle and a school bus driver both died as a result of a crash north of Woodstock on Monday morning, provincial police have announced.
They say the collision happened just before 7 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33.
Police say there were no children aboard the school bus at the time of the crash.
They say that 35-year-old Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, who was with the Perth County OPP detachment, was killed in the collision. He served in the Huron-Perth Community Street Crime Unit.
“We are deeply saddened over this tragic incident, as two families mourn the loss of their loved ones. I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues affected,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique stated.
Police say they will not be releasing the name of the bus driver out of respect to the family’s privacy.
Global News confirmed the bus involved in the collision was from Langs Bus Lines Limited. The company declined to provide any further comment.
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OPP announced that London police will be taking over the investigation.
Police initially made an announcement on Twitter at around 8:30 a.m. that there had been a fatal collision near Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33 in East Zorra.
They said that Highway 59 was closed as officers conducted the investigation.
At around 1 p.m., police announced that both drivers had been killed while also confirming that a school bus had been involved in the collision.
A number of police services and chiefs began to issue offers of condolence on Twitter a short time after the OPP issued the announcement of Tourangeau’s death.