(PETAWAWA, ON) - On Friday September 7, 2018, at just before 740am, members of the Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a two-vehicle collision in the Town of Petawawa. The collision, which occurred at the intersection of Portage Road and Petawawa Boulevard, involved an SUV and a school bus with 28 students on board. At the time of the collision the bus was proceeding westbound through the intersection on Portage Road. The SUV, which was eastbound on Portage Rd, attempted to turn north bound onto Petawawa Boulevard when the collision occurred.
The driver and lone occupant of the SUV, 21-year-old Kyle PARKER of Petawawa, was charged with left turn - fail to afford reasonable opportunity to avoid collision under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA). There were no reported injuries from the involved drivers or passengers on the bus. A replacement bus was used to transport the students to school and the SUV was towed from the scene.
Drivers are reminded that school buses have returned to area roads. All motorists are urged to drive with caution in school zones and in surrounding neighbourhoods due to the increase in pedestrians, cyclists and school buses on the roads. To ensure the safety of students travelling to and from school, members of the Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the OPP will be paying extra attention to school zones and taking a zero-tolerance approach towards drivers who disobey school bus safety laws.