OPP officer, school bus driver dead following crash near Woo

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OPP officer, school bus driver dead following crash near Woodstock, Ont.

There were no students or passengers in either of the vehicles, OPP say

An officer with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the driver of a school bus died after their vehicles collided north of Woodstock, Monday morning.

Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, 35, of the OPP's Huron-Perth Community Street Crime Unit was travelling in an unmarked cruiser when his vehicle and a school bus collided shortly before 7:00 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33 in East Zorra-Tavistock Township, police said.

"Tragically, both drivers died as a result of their injuries. There were no students on the bus and no passengers in either vehicle," provincial police said in a statement released to the media.

Police said they will not be releasing the identity of the school bus driver out of respect for the family. CBC News has learned the driver of the bus worked for Langs Bus Lines Limited.

"Our deepest condolences to the families of both drivers involved in the collision this morning," said Kevin Langs, the vice president of the bus company.

Tourangeau is the fifth Ontario police officer to die in what's been a tragic year for law enforcement agencies in the province.

Officers Andrew Hong, Morgan Russell, Devon Northrup and Grzegorz Pierzchala — all of whom died in uniform this year, along with Vicki Lynn Wilson who died in 1992 — were recognized and honoured at the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation's ceremony of remembrance earlier this month.

"We're all very sad, it's always very tragic to lose a police officer in the line of duty and we're also sad for the family of the civilian that has died in this tragedy as well," said Scott Mills, a spokesperson for the Ontario Provincial Police Association.

"There have been more [line of duty deaths] this year than in years past, and we hope it stops," Mills added. "The pain and the trauma that goes along with this for our families and our members, it never goes away."

Mills couldn't confirm how many years Tourangeau had been with the OPP, but said he was highly respected by his peers.

Mills described Tourangeau as a "very dedicated family man," but did not give any further information, citing that Tourangeau's family has requested privacy at this time.

Changes coming to intersection

The intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford Road 33 has been a concern for the local community as traffic volume has increased in the last number of years. Both roads have speed limits of 80 km/h, with stop signs only for east and westbound drivers on Oxford Road 33.

"That intersection's been a known issue for quite some time," said Mark Jaycock, co-owner of Willow Lake Campground and RV Park on Highway 59.

"All the time we've lived here it's been an issue as Highway 59 has no stop signs. So crossing (Oxford Road) 33, sometimes people go through those stop signs and get hit by those on (Highway) 59."

According to Phil Schaefer, the Mayor of East Zorra-Tavistock Township, the intersection is set to become an all-way stop in the coming weeks.

"It's a very sad day in the Township, I'll tell you that," said Schaefer. "History indicated that something needed to be done there. So council approved it in January to improve the intersection."

The updates to the intersection next month will include stop signs for drivers on Highway 59, speed limit reductions to 60 km/h approaching the intersection, rumble strips, and flashing red lights above the intersection.

Highway 59 was closed from Oxford Road 17 to Braemar Sideroad, and Oxford Road 33 was closed from 11th Line to 13th line while police investigated the collision. The roadways have since reopened.

OPP said the London Police Service will be assisting with the investigation.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/o ... -1.6858285

[Thomas]

OPP officer and school bus driver die in crash northwest of Woodstock, police say

An Ontario Provincial Police officer and a school bus driver died in a crash northwest of Woodstock, Ont., on Monday.

Provincial police said there were no students on the bus and no passengers in the officer’s unmarked vehicle at the time of the crash, which took place a little before 7 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33.

Police said 35-year-old Det.-Const. Steven Tourangeau, who was with the Perth County OPP detachment, died in the crash. OPP said they were not releasing the identity of the school bus driver “out of respect for the family’s privacy.”

In a news release, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said the force is “deeply saddened over this tragic incident, as two families mourn the loss of their loved ones.”

“I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues affected,” he said.

Police in London, Ont., will be investigating the crash.

OPP said they could not provide any more information while the investigation is ongoing.

Police services and associations across Ontario expressed their condolences to the families of Tourangeau and the school bus driver.

Tourangeau’s death comes less than three weeks after an OPP officer was killed while responding to a disturbance call in Bourget, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2023.

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https://www.simcoereformer.ca/news/loca ... -collision

[Thomas]

Police officer and school bus driver both die after collision near Woodstock

Two people are dead, including an on-duty police officer, after a collision northwest of Woodstock.

Ontario Provincial Police say that an unmarked OPP vehicle and a school bus collided in the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33 just before 7 a.m.

Both drivers died as a result of the crash.

Police say that there were no passengers in either vehicle at the time.

One of the victims has been identified as Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, 35.

Police say that Tourangeau was with the Perth County OPP detachment and was assigned to the Huron-Perth Community Street Crime Unit

"We are deeply saddened over this tragic incident, as two families mourn the loss of their loved ones. I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues affected,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a press release.

https://www.cp24.com/news/police-office ... -1.6418019

[Thomas]

No formal police funeral for OPP officer killed in crash with school bus near Woodstock

A formal police funeral won’t be held for an OPP officer who died in a crash near Woodstock that also killed a school bus driver this week.

Det.-Const. Steven Tourangeau, 35, died Monday after his unmarked police vehicle and a school bus collided at the rural intersection of Oxford Road 33 and Highway 59, northwest of Woodstock, around 7 a.m. Bus driver David James Stewart, 71, also was killed.

Formal police funerals – featuring a funeral procession and drawing uniformed police officers from across the province – are often held for officers killed in the line of duty.

The family of a deceased officer makes the decision whether to have a formal police funeral or a private service. No information has been released on Tourangeau’s funeral yet.

Thousands of police officers and dignitaries, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, packed a Canadian Tire parking lot last month for the funeral of Sgt. Eric Mueller, 42, who was shot while responding to a disturbance call at a home in Bourget, east of Ottawa on May 11.

London police are leading the investigation into this week’s double fatal crash and the results will ultimately be shared with the family but won’t be made public, the lead investigator says.

“The investigation is open and very active, and the timeline for its conclusion is unknown given that we are still gathering and analyzing evidence. It’s only safe to say it will be some time before I have an opportunity to review everything,” London police Det. Insp. Alex Krygsman said in an email.

“The results of the investigation, when it is concluded, will be shared with the families of those involved. Given that both persons involved in the collision passed away, I don’t anticipate at this time providing details to the public.”

Police have released few details about the early-morning crash that happened at a rural intersection long flagged as dangerous by county officials and nearby residents. Stop signs control the traffic running east-west on Oxford Road 33 and the posted speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour. The county has already added flashing lights to the stop signs and plans to introduce other measures, including a four-way stop and reduced speed limits, in late June.

Tourangeau, the 11th Canadian police officer killed on the job since September, was beginning his first day with the OPP’s organized crime unit on the day he died.

He lived with his wife and three young sons in Thorndale, where members of the tight-knit community have fastened blue and gold ribbons on their homes in a sign of support for the grieving family.

Stewart was a father to four daughters who had been driving a school bus in the Woodstock area for the past twelve years after retiring from the landscaping business he owned. A visitation will be held at the Brock and Visser Funeral Home in Woodstock on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service and burial at the Woodstock Anglican Cemetery.

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[Thomas]

Beloved school bus driver, dedicated Ontario police officer mourned following fatal crash

A school bus driver and an Ontario Provincial Police officer are being remembered as dedicated professionals and family men a day after they were killed in a two-vehicle collision north of Woodstock.

An obituary for David Stewart, 71, describes him as a loving husband of 47 years, father of four, proud grandfather of seven and great-grandfather of two.

In a GoFundMe set up to help pay for funeral costs, many messages of condolences have been shared by friends and co-workers, as well as families of the kids he drove to school.

“Dave was such a wonderful man and amazing bus driver for our kids,” read one message. “We will miss him and his daily smiles and greetings dearly.”

After retiring as a mechanic, Stewart had been driving school buses for 12 years, a profession he loved, according to his obituary. And while loving Nascar, NFL and fishing, the obituary says family was everything to Stewart.

A parent whose child was driven to school by Stewart told Global News he was a great man that was loved by all students in his care.

Stewart operated a bus for Langs Bus Lines. In a statement, vice-president of the bus company Kevin Langs said Stewart was a dedicated driver in the Hickson area for the past four years.

“He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he’s touched, here at Langs and in the school communities he served,” said Langs. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.”

A few hours following the early morning collision, the OPP identified the officer involved as Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, 35, of Perth County OPP.

“We are deeply saddened over this tragic incident, as two families mourn the loss of their loved ones. I offer my deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues affected,” OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique stated.

Tourangeau served in the Huron-Perth Community Street Crime Unit and was on duty at the time of the incident, according to the Police Association of Ontario.

According to a GoFundMe organized for Tourangeau’s family, he was a married father of three young boys, a brother and an uncle.

Police associations and departments from across Ontario have offered tributes since his death.

In a tweet, the Brantford Police Service offered their “deepest condolences” to Tourangeau’s family as well as to the “family and loved ones of the civilian who died in the collision.”

Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw also posted a note on Twitter, offering “heartfelt condolences to all members of the Ontario Provincial Police and to the families, friends and communities impacted by these tragic deaths.”

Police say at around 7 a.m. Monday, an unmarked police cruiser and school bus collided at the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33.

No children were aboard the school bus at the time, and Tourangeau and Stewart were the lone occupants of the vehicles.

What caused the collision is still under investigation. The London Police Service is leading the investigation, using resources from their department alongside the OPP. Evidence from the scene is being analyzed, said a spokesperson for London police.

The location where the collision occurred has been known to be dangerous, with East Zorra-Tavistock Mayor Phil Schaefer telling Global News there have been a “fair number” of collisions at the intersection just in the past year.

Schaefer says the intersection is slated to have significant improvements done in June. The intersection will become an all-way stop with overhead flashing lights, rumble strips and a reduction in speed limit 500 metres out from the stop signs.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9732733/scho ... -reaction/

[Thomas]

Death of on-duty OPP officer highlights mental toll on first responders

The death of an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer Monday morning adds to a growing list of Ontario police officers who have died while on-duty in the past few months.

The officer has been identified as 35-year-old Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, who was killed in a collision between his unmarked police cruiser and a school bus.

A row of nine police officers could be seen standing in the middle of the road near the Oxford County crash site, saluting Tourangeau, who died in the double fatal crash earlier that day.

His death comes less than three weeks after OPP officer Sgt. Eric Mueller was killed in eastern Ontario.

For some, these deaths bring to the forefront the toll tragedies like this have on the mental health of officers.

“A death of one of their own is like a death in the family,” said psychotherapist Michelle Farrow.

Farrow is a registered psychotherapist who works with first responders, and she says when one of their own dies it brings on grief for anyone left behind.

“So that may include feelings of sadness, anger, disbelief, fear, along with the reality of the inherent risks of their job,” Farrow said.

In the face of these risks, Farrow says we're seeing increased reports of occupational stress, depression and anxiety for first responders.

She added that it seems more resources are becoming available.

“I'm finding that a lot of services have an in-house wellness program, as well as peer support programs, there's employee assistance programs that have mental health supports,” Farrow said.

Following Tourangeau’s death, police and first responders around the country shared their condolences online.

“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of OPP Detective Constable Steven Tourangeau of the Perth County OPP Detachment and the civilian who passed away following a tragic collision earlier today,” Waterloo Regional Police Service said in a tweet.

Tourangeau was with the Perth County OPP detachment and assigned to the Huron-Perth community street crime unit.

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[Thomas]

'His family meant everything to him' says cousin of OPP officer killed in fatal crash

Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau died when his car collided with a school bus on Monday

Steven Tourangeau was known for always having a smile on his face and excelling at every challenge life would throw at him, his cousin Dayne Tourangeau told CBC News.

"He was always super genuine and just an amazing person and everybody knew him as that," said Dayne. "He was always accomplishing something and our entire family is so proud of him."

Det. Const. Tourangeau, 35, of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) died on Monday when his unmarked cruiser collided with a Langs Bus Line bus at the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33 in East Zorra-Tavistock Township shortly before 7 a.m.

The crash killed both Tourangeau and David Stewart, 71, who was driving the school bus. Tourangeau was with the OPP's Huron-Perth Community Street Crime Unit.

Tourangeau grew up in Tecumseh, Ont., near Windsor and was currently living two hours away in St. Thomas with his wife Danikah, and their three young boys. He spent some time with Windsor Police Service's auxiliary unit, Dayne said.

'He led quite the exciting life'

Tourangeau's role as a police officer evoked lots of curiosity among his family members, his cousin said.

"Everybody knew when Steve showed up because they were always excited to hear about him and what he was up to since he led quite the exciting life. He was made to be a police officer and that's what he always wanted to do," Dayne said.

Tourangeau enjoyed fishing and spending time with his family during their annual visits to McQuaby Lake in northern Ontario. Dayne's fondest memories of Tourangeau include his love for playing hockey.

"He was the hockey player and really good at it, that's what we were first proud of him for and we would brag about him for that," Dayne said.

Tourangeau was a very popular officer in the Huron-Perth county area and his death is a huge loss to the community, said West Perth's fire chief, Bill Hunter.

"Steve had a fantastic reputation with our fire service doing workshops, he was just a quality and professional police officer," Hunter said.

Tourangeau is the fifth Ontario police officer to die in the line of duty this year. To honour the lives of fallen officers, the West Perth Fire Department has changed the colour of its clock face to blue, Hunter said.

"It's just a small way that we can recognize a fallen police officer like Steve and show respect to his family and the OPP community," he said

"I'm pretty broken up about [his death], as is everybody in our family. He was really important to us and we're just trying to work our way through it," Dayne said.

The family will get together for a celebration of Tourangeau's life, he said. An online fundraiser has been set up to support his wife and children.

"I just want people to know how genuine of a person he was and his family meant everything to him," Dayne said. "He was just a great person and a great police officer."

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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