Two Carleton students are among the six people who died in relation to a crash between an OC Transpo double-decker bus and a Via Rail passenger train Sept. 18, according to Carleton media relations co-ordinator Chris Cline.
The students are Connor Boyd, 21, a third-year English student, and Kyle Nash, also 21, a fourth-year interactive multimedia and design (IMD) student.
The university will host an informal gathering Sept. 20 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ravens’ Nest for students, faculty, and staff to support one another and share memories, according to university communications. It will be closed to media.
Carleton president Roseann Runte issued a statement Sept. 19.
“On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and alumni of Carleton University, I wish to offer our deepest sympathies to the families of Carleton students Connor Boyd and Kyle Nash to all of their friends and classmates,” she said in the statement.
The flags of the university will remain at half-staff, she said, and condolence books will be available in the Tory Building lobby at 9 a.m. Sept. 20.
Carleton will inform the community about plans for a memorial service, she said.
Fourth-year IMD classes are cancelled Sept. 19 and 20.
Health and counselling services were made available to the students in the small program.
Cline said the university will be providing grief services after the crash to all students who may have been affected.
Five victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the collision. A sixth died on the way to a hospital.
Thirty-one people were taken to Ottawa area hospitals, 11 of those in critical condition, Ottawa Paramedics Chief Anthony Di Monte said.
Another Carleton student, third-year political science major Tanner Trepanier, was also on board the bus but survived.
Just before 9 a.m. a number 76 bus heading north was driving towards a train crossing at Woodroffe Avenue and Fallowfield Road when it collided with Via Rail train 51 heading to Toronto.
According to the Ottawa Police Service the four other victims of the collision, all resident of Ottawa, are Michael Bleakney, 57 years old, Karen Krzyzewski, 53 years old, Rob More, 35 years old, and Dave Woodard, the bus driver, 45 years old.
