Pick-up strikes school bus during morning commute

It was an alarming start to Monday for a school bus driver and students waiting to board on Jalna Boulevard.

London police confirm a pick-up truck, reported stolen, slammed into the back of a school bus at about 7:45 a.m. near the intersection with Joselyn Drive.

The lights on the bus were flashing at the time.

Const. Sandasha Bough says those inside the heavily damaged truck fled immediately after the impact.

“Two individuals, who were in that vehicle, fled the scene. We’re currently looking for one male and one female,” said Bough.

Neighbour Dorota Wojnas was alerted to the crash while inside her home.

“I just heard a loud bang and I wasn’t really concerned at first, but then, I decided to look and I saw the bus damaged and the pickup truck down the road,” Wojnas said.

She was among many in the area concerned for anyone possibly hurt.

Another neighbour, Maria Machado, immediately inquired with arriving police about the status of any children on the bus.

“I worry about the kids. I ask the policeman if the kids are ok? He said, ‘Yes, nothing with the kids’. I said, ‘Thank you God!,” said Machado.

Bough later confirmed no students were on the bus. However, a few were about to board.

“The school bus was about to pick up children in the area. We can say that this is a fortunate situation where there were no other injuries,” said Bough.

A statement echoed by neighbours. Still, some expressed general concern about speed and unsafe driving along Jalna Boulevard, arguing curb extensions to calm traffic have not worked.

And even if Monday’s incident has unique circumstances, they fear another close call is inevitable.

“It’s just a matter of time, and it just happened this morning,” Wojanas emphasized.

London police announced Monday afternoon that two suspects — a man and a woman — were arrested by OPP outside of the city in relation to the stolen pick-up and school bus collision and have since been charged. 

Meanwhile, London police are asking any witnesses to the crash to contact them.