Provincial police are looking into whether not wearing seatbelts played a role in the deaths in Puslinch, Ont.
PUSLINCH – Ontario provincial police report they’re examining if a lack of seatbelts was a factor in the deaths of four young individuals and injuries to two others after their vehicle went off the road and fell into a ravine in Puslinch, Ont., just outside Guelph.
The OPP states that the single-vehicle accident occurred early Saturday on Watson Road South, where the car veered off the road and hit a guardrail before plunging into a ravine.
According to police, six young people from the Greater Toronto Area were inside the vehicle, with four being declared dead at the scene – two 19-year-old men from Mississauga and Brampton, along with a 17-year-old girl from Mississauga and a 15-year-old girl from Milton.
The OPP mentioned that a 17-year-old girl from Mississauga is currently hospitalized with life-changing injuries following the crash, while a 16-year-old from Mississauga suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
During a news conference on Sunday, OPP Insp. Karen Medeiros described the tragic crash as an “unimaginable loss” and a “heartbreaking reminder of the lives that can be forever changed by a serious collision.”
She noted that investigators suspect there weren’t enough seatbelts for all six passengers in the crashed vehicle but are also exploring whether speed contributed to the incident.
Authorities are asking anyone with information or surveillance footage from that area to step forward.
