Tragedy in Ontario: Four Teen Girls and Teacher Killed in Crash After School Softball Tournament

High school teacher Matt Eckert, 33, was driving an SUV carrying the student athletes when their car struck a tractor trailer

A devastating collision in rural Ontario has claimed the lives of four teenage girls and their high school teacher as they returned home from a softball tournament. The fatal crash occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Friday at an intersection near London, Ontario, when their SUV collided with a tractor trailer. A second SUV then struck their vehicle shortly after the initial impact.

The victims have been identified as teacher Matt Eckert, 33, and students Rowan McLeod, Kaydance Ford, Danica Baker, and Olivia Rourke. All five were affiliated with Walkerton District Community School and had been participating in a two-day softball tournament at Slo-Pitch City in Dorchester.

Rowan McLeod

Ontario Provincial Police confirmed that two 17-year-old girls and one 16-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene. Another 16-year-old girl was airlifted to hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Eckert was transported to a nearby hospital where he also died.

Kaydance Ford

The driver of the tractor trailer and both the driver and passenger in the second SUV sustained minor injuries.

Just hours before the crash, the teens had finished their final softball game around 2 p.m. Friday, celebrating a second-place finish at the tournament. The fatal collision happened only 20 minutes from the playing field.

“This tragedy hits harder for this association knowing that they were returning from playing the very sport of softball,” the Tara Twins Minor Softball association said in a statement, confirming McLeod and Ford as members of their team. Bluewater Ballistix Volleyball Club also identified Danica Baker as one of the victims.

Olivia Rourke

Matt Eckert, who taught and coached at the high school, also served as an assistant lacrosse coach. His dedication to students and athletics was widely recognized within the community.

Danica Baker

The crash has deeply shaken the small town of Walkerton, where hundreds gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil outside the school to mourn the loss.

Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences, calling the tragedy "heartbreaking" and describing the loss as "unimaginable."

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash. The investigation by Ontario Provincial Police remains ongoing.

Matt Eckert, 33, a beloved coach and teacher at Walkerton District Community School, died in the crash