A tight-knit Ontario community is reeling from an unimaginable tragedy after a beloved teacher and four teenage students were killed in a horrific multi-vehicle crash while returning home from a high school softball tournament on Friday afternoon, May 23.
Matt Eckert, 33, a respected teacher and coach at Walkerton District Community School, was driving an SUV carrying four students when their vehicle collided with a transport truck at the intersection of Thorndale and Cobble Hills roads northeast of London around 4:30 p.m. on May 23. Their SUV was then struck by a second SUV, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
Three passengers—two 17-year-old girls and a 16-year-old girl—were pronounced dead at the scene. Eckert and another 16-year-old girl were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, with the teenager airlifted by Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance service, but both later died from their injuries.
The victims have been identified as Olivia Rourke, Rowan McLeod, Kaydance Ford, and Danica Baker—all students at Walkerton District Community School who were passionate athletes involved in multiple sports programs.
The group had been competing at the 27th annual Girls’ High School Invitational Slo-Pitch Tournament in Dorchester, where their team finished in second place.
The teenagers had played their final game at 2 p.m. Friday, and the accident occurred just 20 minutes away from the tournament field where they had been competing since Thursday.
Eckert was not only a dedicated educator but also served as an assistant coach with the Owen Sound Junior B Northstars Lacrosse Club.
Students remember Eckert as someone who brought joy to learning. Jasmine Huber, 16, who had Eckert as a math teacher, recalled: “He was a great teacher. Like even if kids were being not good, he’d get them in trouble, but he’d do it in, like, a fun way.”
The tragedy has prompted an extraordinary outpouring of community support. Residents throughout Walkerton turned on their porch lights and placed running shoes outside their homes as a touching tribute to honor the victims and their families.
Hundreds of community members gathered Sunday evening for a vigil outside Walkerton District Community School, where attendees lit candles and laid flowers at a growing memorial.
Two of the victims, Rowan McLeod and Kaydance Ford, were members of the Tara Twins U18 girls softball team, coached by Rowan’s father Mike McLeod.
Keegan Padfield, a 15-year-old student familiar with all five victims through school sports, described the girls as encouraging teammates who fostered a supportive environment. He noted how, when he joined in ninth grade, they were dedicated to helping everyone grow and improve.
Thames Centre council voted unanimously Monday evening to call for a traffic and roadway study of the intersection once the ongoing OPP investigation concludes. Local residents have described the rural intersection as dangerous, with drivers often reaching highway speeds and sometimes failing to stop at signs.
Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash and are asking witnesses to check dashcam footage. The driver of the transport truck and the occupants of the second SUV sustained only minor injuries.
As students and staff returned to Walkerton District Community School on Monday, mental health and tragedy response teams were on-site to provide support.
