Five children died and six other people—five adults and an infant—were hurt in a crash between a passenger van and an SUV near Mapleton, Ontario on June 13, 2026, according to Yahoo News Canada. The Ontario Provincial Police confirmed the deaths at the scene, located in Wellington County, roughly northeast of Guelph.

At the time this article was published, police had not yet released details about exactly what happened. That includes information about road conditions, how fast either vehicle was going, where they hit each other, and whether the people inside were using seatbelts or child safety seats. When a crash kills multiple people, the Ontario Provincial Police sends in specialized crash reconstruction teams. These investigators spend hours at the scene collecting evidence and examining the wreckage before they can explain what caused the collision.

This crash ranks among the deadliest road accidents Ontario has seen in recent years. The Wellington County area where it happened sits on rural roads—mostly two-lane county roads and highways that connect small towns to the city of Guelph. Passenger vans, which families, sports teams, and daycares often use to transport children, have a known pattern: when they collide, the weight of the vehicle and how the seats are arranged can turn a side or head-on crash into a very serious or fatal event for the people inside, especially children.

The fact that an infant was injured will likely play an important role in the investigation. Ontario law requires that children sit in safety seats or restraints that match their age and weight. Whether these safety measures were being used—or weren't—usually becomes a key focus when police and courts examine what happened after a crash like this.

Police have not named the victims or the drivers yet. This is standard practice while officers notify the families of those who died and while the investigation continues. Over the coming days and weeks, the Wellington County area and the region around Guelph will likely hold memorials and gather to grieve. An event in which five children die in a single crash creates a loss that weighs heavily on entire communities.

What we know for certain is this: five children did not survive a crash on a rural Ontario road on June 13, 2026. The full details of what caused it will come from the OPP investigation—and possibly from a court, if the evidence points to wrongdoing by either driver.