Charges have been laid after a crash between a van and an LRT vehicle in downtown Kitchener. It happened near Duke Street West and Water Street North behind city hall at around 12:30 p.m. The front end of the LRT vehicle was damaged after it appeared to have connected with the rear end of the van. The rear window of the van was smashed in the crash. Police say two people were taken to hospital with unknown injuries. There were reportedly two children in the van at the time of the crash, but they did not suffer any injuries. According to police, the van was driving north on Water Street when it failed to stop for a red light. It then collided with the LRT vehicle on Duke, which had the right of way. The driver of the van was charged with two offences including failing to stop at a red light. It's the first report of a vehicle crashing into an LRT vehicle, which are still in testing. "I was expecting it sooner than this but we've been pretty lucky with the weather and traffic's been fairly light lately so it's been pretty good," explains Acting Sgt. Gary Russell. Commissioner of Transportation Thomas Schmidt says there are plans in place to have vehicles rerouted in the event of collisions, such as dual track systems and buses. The LRT vehicle had about $20,000 in damage done to it. It's not known how long it will take to repair. The region has been working towards a June 21 start date. Officials originally stated that the vehicle had sustained about $40,000 in damage. The region has since reduced that number to $20,000.
