Quebec: 2 four-year-olds dead, driver charged after city bus crashes into Laval daycare

A city bus driver has been charged with first-degree murder after a bus crashed into a daycare in Laval, Quebec Wednesday morning, resulting in the demise of two four-year-old children.

Soon after parents dropped off their kids at the Garderie éducative Sainte-Rose, just north of Montreal, at around 8:30 am the bus crashed into the child-care facility sending many of the kids to the hospital, one of which succumbed to injuries at the hospital while the other was pronounced dead at the scene, according to media reports.

The city bus driver, identified as 51-year-old Laval resident Pierre Ny St-Amand, was reportedly arrested at the scene of the accident and has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and four counts of assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.

A memorial was set up at the site of the incident Wednesday evening as the Laval community grieves those killed and harmed in the incident.

The suspect was charged while joining through video conferencing while receiving medical care under police supervision at the Sacré-Cœur Hospital in Montreal and, according to media reports, refused to speak during the hearing.

A psychiatric examination has been ordered for the accused before St-Amand is set to be produced before the court on February 17, media reports add.

There has been no reported link between the bus driver and the daycare, according to Laval police.

Expressing his condolences, Quebec Premier François Legault said, “We are going to give the parents all the help we can, and as a father, I am shaken…There is nothing worse than being afraid for your child…I am thinking of the children, parents and employees.”

“Our thoughts are with families in Laval who are living incredibly difficult moments … we hope that everyone will be OK…We are following the situation closely,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the incident.