Grief rippled through a central Ontario community on Sunday as residents struggled to come to terms with the deaths of four students and a teacher killed in a crash, with the lone adult victim being remembered as a cherished coach and friend.
The Owen Sound NorthStars Junior B Lacrosse club said they were "heartbroken and crushed" about the death of assistant coach Matt Eckert.
In a social media tribute, the team's general manager said the 33-year-old had an indescribable connection with the players and was a best friend to other coaches.
"His infectious smile and caring heart are things that will never be forgotten. We love you so much Ecky," read the statement, attributed to club general manager Ethan Woods.
When reached by email, an executive for the lacrosse team says they were discussing the best way to honour Eckert that would also be respectful to his family and the other four families affected by the collision.
Eckert and four teenage students from Walkerton District Community School died on Friday when their SUV collided with a transport truck and another SUV just outside London, Ont. The local school board said they were returning from a sporting event in the area.
Two of the girls were 16 and two were 17, Ontario Provincial Police said.
The community, located about 150 kilometres northwest of Toronto, was expected to hold a candlelight vigil at the school on Sunday night. Social media posts circulated showing people who had placed running shoes and candles on their porches in tribute to the crash victims.
Several teachers posted pictures of the school's logo, a blue hawk in a geometric design, framed by a heart.
The local mayor said Sunday the mood in Walkerton was "absolutely terrible" in the aftermath of the crash. The town was also grieving a worker who had also died Friday at a local manufacturing plant, he said.
"People are devastated. It's an incomprehensible tragedy," said Chris Peabody, the mayor of Brockton, the municipality encompassing Walkerton.
“It's a lot of tragedy for one town, every organization, workplace, schools, families, all the connections those people had everybody is going to be impacted in a very negative manner.”
The school board and police have not released the names of the students killed in the crash.
Eckert is listed in the school's staff directory as a teacher. He was also identified as a member of the teachers' union in a social media post by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation.
The driver and passenger of the second SUV and the truck driver had minor injuries, police said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25. 2025.
Sharif Hassan and Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press
