A couple who once lived in Owen Sound, their children, and a man from Mildmay were reportedly among those involved in a fatal collision on Highway 7 in Peterborough.
Members of the Peterborough County OPP and emergency crews attended a fatal collision that occurred on Highway 7 near Drummond Line Tuesday afternoon.
A head-on collision involving a pick-up truck and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) occurred at approximately 5:15 that evening.
Four people were pronounced deceased. A young woman in the SUV was transported to a Toronto area hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The deceased driver of the pickup truck has been identified as 42-year-old Jason Schmidt of Hastings. Schmidt was originally from Mildmay.
Three deceased occupants including the driver of the SUV have been identified as 18-year-old Riddick Hart, 46-year-old Jonathan MacDonnell and 52-year-old Stefphanie Hart of Otonabee-South Monaghan Township. An extended family member tells Bayshore Broadcasting News Jon was from Owen Sound. He and Stefphanie had reportedly met while volunteering at Rogers TV in Owen Sound. A family member says they had combined their last names, (MacDonnell & Hart) into ‘MacHart’ when they married and had moved from Owen Sound to the Peterborough area.
A GoFundMe page set up for the MacHart family says their daughter was air lifted to hospital where she is in critical condition. It says while her grandparents are in Toronto by her side, they could use help with hotel and food costs plus the added cost of planning three funerals.
There are two GoFundMe pages set up for the family:
OPP say the collision remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed or has video/dash camera footage of the collision and has not spoken with police is being asked to contact the Peterborough County OPP Detachment at 1-888-310-1122.
Police have not announced whether anyone was at fault in the collision or if any charges have been laid.
Peterborough County OPP say they would like to thank the members of the public that assisted first responders at the scene of this tragic collision.
An extended family member of the MacHarts is offering her thanks to police, who she says were, “So compassionate, kind and caring.”
