Student, parents among four who died in highway crash in Peterborough, Ont., school officials say

The principal of a school in the Peterborough region says a student and his parents were among four people who died in a highway crash this week.

Deb Callahan, the principal at the Thomas A Stewart Secondary School, says in a letter that the school community is “shocked and grieving” the death of the student and his parents, one of whom was a school employee.

She says another member of the family was also a student at the school and was airlifted to hospital after the crash.

Provincial police have said the crash between a pickup truck and a SUV took place on Tuesday afternoon on Highway 7 near Drummond Line.

They’ve identified three SUV occupants who died as 18-year-old Riddick Hart, 46-year-old Jonathan MacDonnell, and 52-year-old Stephanie Hart, while the pickup driver who died has been identified as 42-year-old Jason Schmidt.

Rita Russo, the director of education at the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, says in a letter to families that the board has sought the support of mental health clinicians for students and staff in light of the tragedy.