Messages of condolences have poured onto social media in honour of the four teenage girls killed along with their teacher/coach in a Friday afternoon crash northeast of London as details of the victims became known.
Two of the four teenage girls killed in the crash were identified by their softball team as Rowan McLeod and Kaydance Ford.
In a social media post Sunday morning, the Tara Twins Minor Softball team said both teenagers, whose ages were not made public, were members of its U18 girls team and were heading home from a softball tournament near Dorchester on Friday when the crash happened.
“Our entire Twins family is reeling from this loss, and our hearts go out to the families, friends and teammates of these beautiful athletes,” the post reads. “This tragedy hits harder for this association knowing that they were returning from playing the very sport of softball.”
A second social media post from the Grey Bruce Ladies Broomball League also identified McLeod as one of the people who died in the crash, which took place at about 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of Thorndale and Cobble Hill roads in Thames Centre.
“Her smile and bubbly personality on and off the ice will always be remembered. Our heart goes out to her family and friends,” the post reads.
The Bluewater Ballistix, a volleyball team with the Ontario Volleyball Association, expressed sorrow as it identified one of its members, Danica Baker, as one of the teenagers killed in the crash. “Danica’s spirit lit up every room and every volleyball court she stepped on to.”
CTV News has identified
the fourth teenager killed as Olivia Rourke.
All four teenagers attended Walkerton District Community School. Also killed was a teacher,
Matt Eckert
.
Emergency crews first responded to the scene after receiving reports of a three-vehicle crash that included a transport truck.
Police have not formally named the victims. Middlesex OPP said two 17-year-old girls and a 16-year-old girl died at the scene. A 33-year-old man taken to hospital later died, while a 16-year-old girl flown to hospital by helicopter also died, police said.
All of the deceased were occupants of the same SUV that first collided with a transport truck, causing the truck to crash into a second SUV at the rural intersection about 20 kilometres northeast of London, police said.
Officials with the Bluewater District school board said in a statement the deaths mark a devastating loss for the community of roughly 5,000, located about a two-hour drive north of London.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families directly impacted, as they deal with unimaginable grief and sadness through this sudden and heartbreaking loss,” the statement said. “We recognize that many staff, students and community members in other areas across our board also have close connections with those lost in this tragedy, and their families.”
Attempts by The Free Press to contact relatives of the victims were unsuccessful Sunday.
The deaths of the five Walkerton-area residents sent the small community reeling, with hundreds taking to social media to express their sorrow and posting photos of running shoes on their front porches in honour of the victims.
Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil Sunday night at the school in Walkerton, which prompted Prime Minister Mark Carney to share his condolences on social media.
“This is an unimaginable loss – one that no family, no classmate, no school should ever have to endure. Canadians are holding the Walkerton community in our hearts.” Carney wrote.
jjuha@postmedia.com
