RICHMOND HILL: A young child was killed when an SUV smashed through the window of a daycare north of Toronto shortly before pickup time on Wednesday.
York Regional Police said the boy was just 1 1/2 years old. Six other children ranging in age from 18 months to 3 years old were also injured in the crash. One was still in critical condition hours later.
Police told a news conference that three staff members were also hurt at the daycare near Yonge Street and Nottingham Drive in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Const. Kevin Nebrija said a driver in his 70s was arrested at the scene and police do not believe it was a deliberate act.
"As you can imagine, this was a very chaotic scene. I can tell you that the initial information suggests the vehicle was in the parking lot at the time, and for reasons unknown, drove through the front of the window," he said. "We can appreciate that this is a very alarming call for parents to receive and to attend at the end of their day."
He said all children had been accounted for and parents were been notified.
At the scene in the early evening, small blue and green chairs could be seen past the jagged edges of a completely shattered front window. About a dozen police cruisers were in the parking lot.
Nebrija said at the time of the crash, there were 96 children present in more than one room in the building.