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Walkerton School Community Mourns Loss of Teacher and Four Students in Fatal Crash

Students and staff return to school with mental health resources after a tragic accident that claimed five lives near London, Ontario.

Young people embrace near a memorial at Walkerton District Community School in Walkerton, Ont. on Sunday, May 25, 2025. On Friday, four students and a teacher from the school were killed in a car accident on the way back from a softball tournament in Dorchester, Ontario. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins
A memorial has been growing outside of Walkerton District Community School since a London-area crash that killed a teacher and four teenage students. Photo taken on Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Rob Gowan/Owen Sound Sun Times)
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An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) patch is seen in Ottawa, on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Overview

  • The collision on May 23, 2025, killed teacher Matt Eckert, 33, and four female students aged 16 and 17 from Walkerton District Community School.
  • The victims were returning from a sporting event when their SUV collided with a transport truck and another vehicle northeast of London, Ontario.
  • A candlelight vigil on May 25 drew hundreds of mourners, with flowers, candles, and tributes left at the school to honor the victims.
  • The Bluewater District School Board has deployed mental health and tragedy response teams to support grieving students and staff as they returned to school on May 26.
  • The mayor of Brockton described the tragedy as an 'incomprehensible loss,' with the community uniting to support the affected families.