Mother of 2 and 4 exchange students identified as victims killed in crash in Huntsville, Ont.
The woman killed in a head-on collision in Huntsville over the weekend that also claimed the lives of four teenagers has been identified.
Officials with Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare confirmed Jessica Ward, 42, was the lone driver of an SUV that collided with another SUV carrying four Chinese exchange students between the ages of 15 and 17 on Highway 60 Saturday night.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The local woman and three of the teens died at the scene, while a male student was taken to the hospital where police say he died of his injuries.
CTV News contacted the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto, which confirmed the deaths of the four students and said no further information would be shared "since the case is under investigation and for privacy reasons."
Police have said the youths were between 15 and 17 years old.
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare's Facebook page posted a tribute to Ward, an accounting clerk at the Huntsville hospital, describing her as having a kind heart and infectious laugh.
"She would light up with stories about her children and their dog. Jessica always brought a smile to the room with her quick wit and dry sense of humour," reads the post.
A GoFundMe campaign launched by a family member to support her children's futures has far exceeded its $10,000 goal.
Provincial police investigating the cause of the deadly crash near Hidden Valley Road say there are sharp turns that make it difficult for viewpoints at night but say weather was not a factor.
"The conditions that night - the roads weren't slick, there's no snow-cover, and the weather was clear," noted OPP Const. Dana Morris.
Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock and local OPP officers said this is one of the most significant losses of life they've ever seen at one time.
"You don't feel totally prepared or equipped. At least I don't. This is one of those things, you wish you can just get out there and hug the people that are affected but there are so many," Alcock added.
The cause of the fatal collision remains under investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Dogs, drones, and word of mouth: How police narrowed in on Luigi Mangione
After UnitedHealthcare's CEO was gunned down on a New York sidewalk, police searched for the masked gunman with dogs, drones and scuba divers.
'Governor Justin Trudeau': Trump appears to mock PM in social media post
Amid a looming tariff threat, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump appears to be mocking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, referring to him as 'Governor Justin Trudeau' in a post on Truth Social early Tuesday.
Canada sanctions 8 past and present Chinese officials, alleging 'grave human rights violations'
Eight past and present senior Chinese officials are the subjects of new human rights sanctions, the Canadian government said Tuesday.
'I never got the impression he would self-destruct:' Friends of suspect in fatal CEO shooting left in shock
Months before police identified Luigi Mangione as the man they suspect gunned down a top health insurance CEO and then seemingly vanished from Midtown Manhattan, another disappearing act worried his friends and family.
Google pulls McDonald's negative reviews over arrest in UnitedHealth murder
Google on Monday removed derogatory reviews about McDonald's MCD.N after the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson was arrested at its restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where police say a customer alerted a local employee about him.
'Godfather of AI' Geoffrey Hinton receives Nobel Prize in physics
Artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and co-laureate John Hopfield have received the Nobel Prize for physics at a ceremony in Stockholm.
Taxpayer-funded Eras Tour tickets returned by federal minister
While tens of thousands of fans packed Vancouver's BC Place for the last shows of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour this weekend, a federal cabinet minister wasn't one of them.
'Serial fraud artist': Crown wants 8-year jail term for fake nurse who treated nearly 1K B.C. patients
B.C. Crown prosecutors are calling for an eight-year prison term for a woman who illegally treated nearly 1,000 patients across the province while impersonating a real nurse.
Union dropped wage demand to 19% over four years in Canada Post negotiations: CUPW
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19 per cent over four years, CUPW negotiator Jim Gallant told CTV News.