OPP to launch safety blitz after crash that killed 5 children in rural Ontario

Tow trucks carrying wrecked vehicles leave the scene of a deadly two-car collision in Mapleton Township, northwest of Kitchener, Ont. on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Five children were killed and six people were injured in the crash. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ian Stewart

A rural Ontario community is dealing with the grief of a deadly crash, and the province’s police force is preparing a new safety blitz.

The Perth County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police says it is set to kick off a new public awareness campaign next week, highlighting the dangers present at intersections.

• ‘This is an unimaginable loss’: Five children killed in Mapleton Township crash

It says that from 2021 to 2025, almost 5,000 motor vehicle collisions were recorded, and about a quarter of those collisions were intersection-related.

The effort happens to follow a deadly two-vehicle collision Friday evening, at the intersection of 4th Line and Wellington Road 12, in Mapleton Township, northwest of Kitchener.

Investigators say five children were killed, and an infant was among the six people injured, after a van carrying 10 people collided with a sport utility vehicle and its sole occupant.

The OPP is continuing its investigation to determine the full circumstances surrounding the crash.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2026.

The Canadian Press