No charges in crash that killed 3 Carleton students

An SUV carrying five Carleton University students ran a red light before it was hit by an OC Transpo bus in January, killing three of the occupants, Ottawa police have confirmed.

Consequently, no charges will be laid in relation to the Jan. 23 collision at Heron Road and Riverside Drive, an Ottawa police news release said Tuesday.

Vanessa Crawford, 19, Brianne Deschamps, 19, and Mark MacDonald, 20, died in the crash, while Ben Gardiner, 20, and Monica Neacsu, 19, were injured.

Police confirmed MacDonald was driving the Toyota 4Runner SUV westbound on Heron Road when it entered the intersection.

The bus driver had earlier told police he had a green light as he entered the intersection while heading northbound on Riverside Drive, and apolice investigation confirmed that was the case, the release said.

As of Tuesday, results of toxicology tests on the bodies were not yet available and the police investigation continued.