‘An absolutely heartbreaking situation’: Police investigating cause, circumstances of QEW crash that killed 9-year-old boy, seriously injured driver

An investigation is now underway to determine the cause and circumstances of a single-vehicle rollover on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Oakville that left a nine-year-old boy and its 38-year-old driver seriously injured.

The collision occurred shortly after midnight on Monday in the westbound lanes of the highway, approaching Burloak Drive.

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On Monday, Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, of the OPP, said a pickup truck with three occupants inside, all of whom are related, entered the ditch and rolled over.

The 38-year-old driver of the vehicle, a resident of Hamilton, was transported to hospital with serious injuries.

A nine-year-old passenger was ejected from the vehicle and transported to hospital without vital signs. He was subsequently pronounced dead in hospital, police said.

Another passenger of the vehicle, a 28-year-old, was uninjured and remained at the scene, they added.

The westbound lanes of the highway were closed for about six hours following the crash, but have since reopened.

Schmidt told CP24 on Monday afternoon that the investigation into what occurred is still in the early stages.

“(There’s) a lot of work to be done yet in terms of investigation, in terms of cause and reasons for this to happen. Obviously, we’re looking at everything: environmental issues, human factors, and everything,” he said, adding that at the time of the collision the roads were dry and clear.

Schmidt said driver impairment and fatigue will also be considered as well as if seatbelts and restraints were used and if they were employed effectively at the time of the crash.

Police are now in the process of reviewing cameras from the highway system as part of their investigation, which will also include looking at the four main causes for fatal collisions: aggressive driving, impaired driving, distracted driving, and seatbelt use, Schmidt added.

“It’s just an absolutely heartbreaking situation here that we’re trying to find answers for and really, there’s really no words of comfort that we can say at this time. It’s absolutely devastating,” he said.

“It’s a reminder for everyone that, we need to be safe, responsible, and alert at all times when operating our vehicles.”

Schmidt said a number of witnesses stopped to assist and provide first aid following the crash prior to emergency responders arriving on scene. He urged anyone with information, including anyone with dashcam or other video footage, to contact police.