Two Ottawans killed in crash, trucker injured

Two people from Ottawa are dead after their SUV collided head-on with a tractor trailer on Highway 7 near Kaladar.

Brian Ward, 70, and his passenger, 67-year-old Mary Ward, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, two kilometres west of Highway 41 just after 5 p.m. Sunday.

Police said a preliminary investigation shows their Subaru Forester crossed into the path of the tractor-trailer loaded with 40,000 kg of steel “for an unknown reason.”

Investigators were on scene probing the crash and a post-mortem examination of Brian Ward was scheduled for Monday.

The truck driver, a 59-year-old Ottawa man, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Highway 7 remained closed Monday morning as heavy equipment was brought in to unload the steel from the transport.