3 dead in highway crash between Niagara transit bus, truck: OPP

Three people are dead after a head-on collision between a Niagara transit bus and a pickup truck on a Welland, Ont., highway Saturday night, police say.

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

Police found a transit bus had collided head-on with a pickup truck, he said.

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

Two people were also taken to hospital, he said.

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

Highway 58 has been closed between Kleiner Street and Forks Road Eastas police investigate, Sanchuk said. He said he expects the road to remain closed for part of Sunday.