School bus carrying 36 students crashes into broken down vehicle on Burlington Skyway: OPP

FILE - The Burlington Skyway bridge in Burlington, Ont. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Lynett

One person was seriously injured after a school bus carrying 36 students crashed into their vehicle which had broken down on the Burlington Skyway late Wednesday night.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said in a video posted on X that shortly before midnight, a 61-year-old woman from St. Catharines was travelling southbound on the downside of the Queen Elizabeth Way when her car stopped working.

Schmidt said the driver exited the vehicle, which was left in a live lane of traffic, and was standing next to a concrete wall on the right side of the highway as the school bus approached the crest of the bridge.

“The driver was unable to negotiate and avoid a collision. The school bus struck the vehicle, the vehicle then, in turn, struck the female who was standing outside of her vehicle,” he said.

Schmidt said the woman sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital. There were 36 students, three teachers, and a driver on board the school bus, none of whom were injured. The bus was returning from a field trip, Schmidt told CTV News Toronto.

The three right lanes of the highway were closed for an investigation but have since reopened.

Schmidt said the crash serves as a reminder of what drivers should do if their vehicle breaks down on a busy highway.

“Call 911, in case you are blocking a live lane. Stay inside your vehicle. That is the safest place for you to be, as opposed to being a pedestrian or a vulnerable person outside of your vehicle in the event of a secondary collision.”