Seven people hurt after OC Transpo bus crashes into ditch on Hwy. 174

Bus crash injures seven CTV's Colton Praill reports on the OC Transpo articulated bus that crashed off Highway 174.

An OC Transpo bus with 30 passengers on board veered off Highway 174 and into a ditch in Ottawa's east end, injuring seven people onboard the articulated bus.

Emergency crews responded to the crash on Hwy. 174, between Montreal Road and Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard, just after 2 p.m. Wednesday. The crash caused significant traffic delays on the eastbound lanes of the highway from the crash area to the Hwy. 417/174 split for the Wednesday afternoon commute.

Photos show an articulated OC Transpo bus in the ditch on the side of the highway, with damage to the front windshield.

Paramedics say seven people on the bus were transported to hospital in stable condition, all with non-life-threatening injuries. Paramedics initially said five people were treated for injuries.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, OC Transpo says the Transit Operations Control Centre received a report at approximately 2:15 p.m. of a bus involved in an incident, "that resulted in the bus veering off the road."

"The bus was in service at the time of the incident and there were approximately 30 customers on board," Troy Charter, Director of Transit Service Delivery and Rail Operations, said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

"OC Transpo is fully cooperating with emergency service partners and are assisting uninjured passengers in completing their journey or connecting with family members at Place D’Orleans Park & Ride.”

Ottawa police continue to investigate.

Motorists were warned to expect delays on Hwy. 174 eastbound between Montreal Road and Jeanne d'Arc. Ottawa police reported the lane was reopened to traffic just after 7:30 p.m.