A woman and five children from a nearby daycare were all rushed to the hospital after being struck by the driver of a vehicle in north Oshawa on Wednesday morning. The collision happened at the intersection of Niagara Drive and Sheridan Street at about 9:20 a.m. while the group was on their daily walk, Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) says. Investigators say the woman and children, ranging in age from seven months to three-years-old, were walking along the east sidewalk. They were hit by a white Volvo sedan driven by the 62-year-old woman while crossing the street. The motorist was turning left into Sheridan Street from southbound Niagara Drive at the time of the crash. “The pedestrians, so one adult female and five children, were walking northbound, and as they were walking across the street, that vehicle making a left turn struck them all,” Acting Sgt. Nicholas Gluckstein said. Police initially said that one of the children, a two-year-old girl, sustained critical injuries and was subsequently airlifted to a Toronto-area trauma centre. They are now saying that she sustained serious, life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition. Two people at the scene told CTV News Toronto that the child has a serious head injury. The daycare worker and one of the children were transported to a local-area hospital with serious, non-life-threatening, injuries. The three other children were taken to local-area hospitals with minor injuries, says DRPS. Driver also sent to the hospital Police say the driver was also transported to the hospital “as a precaution.” She did remain on scene and is cooperating with what has become a “complex” investigation, Gluckstein said. No charges have been laid at this time. The collision occurred at an intersection with a two-way stop and the vehicle that was turning did not have a stop sign. “There are no stop signs for them to potentially stop and take a look around there. But five children and an adult female crossing the road is a pretty large sight to see,” the media officer said. He said he can’t speak to the speed the motorist may have been travelling at but said it would be something investigators would be looking at “as they speak to witnesses in the area and look for video footage. “We’ll look at any kind of distracted driving when it was whether it was you know cell phones or eating or anything of that nature. We’ll look at impairments, whether that’s a factor,” Gluckstein said. “As the investigators speak with witnesses and comb all of the video footage, they’ll make that assessment and look for any fine details that they can gather.” The Collision Investigation Unit is now at the scene assisting with the investigation. Police say they’ll also be doing a reenactment as they work to ascertain the circumstances that led up to this crash. Police, meanwhile, are urging all drivers to slow down, obey speed limits, and the rules of the road. Pedestrians should also keep an eye out for vehicles when crossing the road and make eye contact with motorists to ensure it is safe to proceed, he said. Intersection closed The intersection remains closed due to the investigation and police are asking drivers in the area to find an alternate route. Anyone with further information is asked to call Det. Const. Hoevenaars at 905-579-1520 or 1-888-579-1520, ext. 5255, or Crime Stoppers anonymously. With files from CTV News Toronto’s Beth Macdonell
