Police block off First Roots Early Education Academy after a car drove through its window in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan
Police block off First Roots Early Education Academy after a car drove through its window in Richmond Hill, Ont., on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.聽
Sammy Kogan The Canadian Press
A one-and-a-half-year-old child has died after a vehicle flew through the window of a Richmond Hill daycare Wednesday afternoon. Follow for live updates below.
Updated 7 mins ago
Map: First Roots Early Education Academy in Richmond Hill
By Star staff
Updated 14 mins ago
Young child dies after vehicle crashes into Richmond Hill daycare
A one-and-a-half-year-old child has died, and six other children are injured after a vehicle flew through the window of a Richmond Hill daycare Wednesday afternoon.
An SUV crashed into the child care centre near Yonge Street and Nottingham Drive, where 96 kids were attending daycare around 3 p.m., York police said.
Seven children, between the ages of one and three, were sent to hospital in the incident as well as three adult staff members. The one-and-a-half year-old was pronounced dead, a second child is in serious condition and the rest suffered injuries that are not life-threatening, Const. Kevin Nebrija told reporters outside the daycare.
A male driver in his 70s was arrested at the scene though Nebrija says the crash was not 鈥渁 deliberate act,鈥 a distinction they made based on speaking with witnesses. The driver is not facing any charges at this time.
鈥淚nitial information suggests the vehicle was in the parking lot at the time, and for reasons unknown, drove through the front of the window,鈥 Nebrija said. 鈥淎s you can imagine, this was a very chaotic scene.鈥
All children have been accounted for though not all were reunited with their parents at the time of the Wednesday鈥檚 6 p.m. press conference, according to Nebrija who implored anybody affected by the incident to contact police鈥檚 victim services.
鈥淲e can appreciate this is a very alarming call for parents to receive and to attend at the end of their day,鈥 Nebrija said.
Investigators are trying to determine how far the vehicle went into the daycare, with Nebrija saying that it may have gone through multiple rooms.
Parents and guardians going to the centre are being asked to access the building from the north side on Thornbush Court. Police have shut down Yonge Street between Gamble Road and Brookside Road.
Paul Calandra, Ontario鈥檚 minister of education and MPP for Markham-Stouffville, said in a post to social media that he was 鈥渄eeply concerned by the tragic incident.鈥
鈥淕rateful to first responders for their swift action, and thinking of everyone affected during this very difficult time,鈥 Calandra said.
Kristjan Lautens is a staff reporter, working out of the Star鈥檚
radio room in Toronto. Reach him via email: klautens@thestar.ca
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