A number of seniors and children were taken to hospital with neck and back injuries when the bus they were riding in was rear-ended by a transport truck on Highway 401 on Wednesday afternoon.
The accident occurred in the eastbound express lanes, just west of Highway 400, at about 3:30 p.m.
Ontario Provincial Police said there were 53 passengers, including a number of seniors and children, aboard the bus.
The travellers were returning to Barrie from Mississauga after attending a performance of "Beauty and the Beast" at Stage West Dinner Theatre in Mississauga.
Some two-dozen emergency medical service personnel, as well as transportation officials, rushed to the scene. Fortunately, there were no major injuries. Injured passengers were taken to hospital as a precaution.
"It could have been a lot worse," said Const. Peter Fraunberger. "The traffic was moving fairly slowly, so we're lucky that it wasn't in a faster pace of traffic."
Police said the weather was not a factor in the crash as the pavement was dry at the time. The driver of the bus had to stop abruptly for some reason, police said. The truck driver was not hurt.
The accident tied up all eastbound express lanes, except one, for several hours, which resulted in traffic tie-ups. The area was not expected to reopen before 7:30 p.m.
With a report from CTV Toronto's MairiAnna Bachynsky
