3 dead in Niagara Transit bus-truck highway crash: OPP

A head-on collision between a Niagara bus and a pickup truck on a highway in Welland, Ont., left three people dead Saturday night, police said.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., police and other emergency personnel responded to a call about a motor vehicle collision on Highway 58 in Welland, Ont., Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said at the scene Saturday.

Police determined that a bus had collided head-on with a pickup truck, he said.

The collision caused the pickup to overturn and burst into flames, Sanchuk said. The driver of the truck and two passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. Sanchuk said police are working to identify the victims.

Two people were also taken to the hospital, he said.

The driver of the bus was flown to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, Sanchuk said, and a passenger was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The only other passenger on the bus was released at the scene at the time, he said.

Highway 58 was closed between Kleiner Street and Forks Road East while police investigated, Sanchuk said. He said he expected the road to remain closed for part of Sunday.