School bus driver involved in fatal crash 'greatly loved' by family and passengers

A school bus driver killed in a collision Monday has been identified through an online fundraiser and obituary. 

The family of David James Stewart is remembering him as a proud grandfather, great-grandfather, loving father and beloved husband. The 71-year-old died after colliding with an unmarked Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) cruiser at the intersection of Highway 59 and Oxford County Road 33 in East Zorra-Tavistock Township shortly before 7 a.m. 

"Dave was a well loved man by his family and friends," reads the GoFundMe campaign raising money for his funeral costs, "as well as the children he drove on his school bus." 

Stewart was a motorcycle and small engine mechanic by trade, according to an obituary on Brock & Visser Funeral Home, and he owned Conner Lawn and Marine before his retirement. He then worked for 12 years as a bus driver. CBC News confirmed he worked for Langs Bus Lines Limited at the time of his death. 

"He loved NASCAR, the NFL and fishing," said the obituary, "but family was everything. He was greatly loved, and will be greatly missed." 

The Ontario Provincial Police Association identified Det. Const. Steven Tourangeau, 35, as the driver of the cruiser. He was with the OPP's Huron-Perth Community Street Crime Unit, and the fifth Ontario police officer to die this year. 

The site of the collision is set to become an all-way stop next month, said Phil Schaefer, Mayor of East Zorra-Tavistock Township. 

The updates to the intersection will include stop signs for drivers on Highway 59, speed limit reductions to 60 km/h approaching the intersection, rumble strips, and flashing red lights. 

Steward's funeral is planned for Tuesday in Woodstock. There are no details yet about how Tourangeau's family will mark his life. 

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.