Four-way stop planned for intersection where bus driver and OPP officer killed
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened, according to the county.
Neighbours say the corner of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33 is well known for being dangerous.
“It’s happened far too often, honestly,” said Bob Hart, who lives and works nearby. “There’s been a lot of accidents at this intersection.”
- RELATED: Police officer, school bus driver killed in violent crash north of Woodstock, Ont.
- 'Six collisions at intersection since August': Neighbours say change needed at rural Oxford County corner
He says just last week, there was another serious crash at the same location.
A school bus with heavy damage to its front end appears at the scene of a double fatal crash in Oxford County on May 29, 2023. (CTV News)
Hart saw emergency services rushing to a collision there Monday morning.
Police say an unmarked police cruiser and a school bus collided at the intersection shortly before 7 a.m. on Monday. Both drivers were killed. The officer has been identified as 35-year-old Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau. The name of the bus driver has not been released.
There were no students on the bus or passengers in either vehicle.
Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau was killed in a collision involving an unmarked cruiser and school bus on May 29, 2023. (OPP)
London police are investigating the crash. They say the early stages of the investigation show the unmarked police car was driving eastbound on Oxford Road 33 and collided with the school bus, which was traveling northbound.
“The OPP, when they discovered a member of the OPP was involved in the collision, they notified the SIU. The SIU decided not to invoke their mandate. The OPP contacted the London Police Service and asked if we would provide assistance to the investigation by providing some oversight,” a spokesperson for London police told CTV News at the scene.
A heavily damaged vehicle appears at the scene of a double fatal crash in Oxford County on May 29, 2023. (CTV News)
While the circumstances of Monday’s crash are not clear, Hart says he frequently sees drivers sail though the intersection.
“The traffic that is travelling eastwards, they’re on a fairly long stretch, maybe 10 km, without a stop sign, and they come over a hill and the stop sign is shortly after cresting the hill,” Hart said.
“I have seen them go across the highway a number of times – different cars – without even slowing down. I’m sure they are not doing it on purpose, just somehow missing the stop sign.”
Emergency services respond to a crash in Oxford County near the intersection of Oxford Road 33 and Highway 59 on Monday, May 29. (Submitted)
During this year’s budget process, Oxford Country approved safety improvements at the intersection, including changing it from a two-way stop to a four-way stop, reducing the speed limit to 60 km/h approaching the corner, and adding rumble strips, electronic speed feedback signs and overhead flashing red lights.
The improvements are set to be implemented in June, a spokesperson for Oxford County said in an email. They follow the installation of flashing red lights at the stop signs in January.
OPP officers salute as the body of Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau is removed from the scene of a crash in Oxford County on May 29, 2023. (CTV News)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.