RICHMOND HILL — A 1 1/2-year-old child has died after after an SUV crashed into a daycare north of Toronto.
York Regional Police said six other children ranging in age from 1 1/2 to three years old were injured Wednesday afternoon and brought to hospital, and one of them is in critical condition.
Police told a news conference three staff members were also hurt in the crash at the daycare near Yonge Street and Nottingham Drive in Richmond Hill, Ont.
Const. Kevin Nebrija said a driver in his 70s was arrested at the scene and police do not believe it was a deliberate act.
“As you can imagine, this was a very chaotic scene. I can tell you that the initial information suggests the vehicle was in the parking lot at the time, and for reasons unknown, drove through the front of the window,” he said.
“We can appreciate that this is a very alarming call for parents to receive and to attend at the end of their day.”
He says all children have been accounted for and parents have been notified.
Photos from the scene show a shattered front window. Multiple small blue chairs can be seen inside.
Nebrija said at the time of the crash, there were 96 children present in more than one room in the building.
“Our investigators are on scene collecting the evidence, going through the sequence of events, to determine exactly how far into the building it (the vehicle) went,” he said.
Yonge Street was closed between Gamble Road to Brookside Road, and motorists were being asked to avoid the area during the police investigation.
Police said parents picking up their children from the daycare were being asked to enter through the north side of the building on Thornbush Court.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2025.
The Canadian Press
