A southern Ontario community is grieving the loss of a 12-year-old boy who died after a vehicle struck him as he was waiting for a school bus.
Ontario Provincial Police said the collision happened Wednesday morning just after 8 a.m. on a country road in Port Hope, Ont.
The boy died at the scene and his 10-year-old sister was airlifted to a Toronto trauma centre to be treated for injuries.
Const. Kimberly Johnson with the OPP’s Northumberland County detachment said Thursday that the siblings were waiting for a school bus when a passing vehicle hit them.
Johnson said the tragedy has been difficult for entire community to grapple with.
“The family, schools, first responders, the community, it’s a very difficult one all the way around,” she said.
Police are still investigating the incident and said they are looking factors such as poor road conditions after a snowfall.
“It’s going to take time and patience on everyone’s part to determine the cause of the crash,” Johnson said.
In a Wednesday letter to parents, the principal of St. Anthony Catholic Elementary said the school was grieving the “tremendous loss” of a student in the tragedy. The injured girl is also a student at the school.
“Words cannot adequately express our profound shock and deep sorrow over this terrible event. The family has asked for your prayers at this time,” Karen McCormack wrote.
McCormack said the school board’s crisis response team, including social workers, would remain at the school this week to support students and staff.
Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.