Child dies after Highway 101 crash

A six-year-old boy has died after a serious crash on Highway 101 nearWindsor Tuesday.

The crash happened around 11 a.m. when a minivan and a motor home towing a carhad stopped for construction near Windsor. RCMP say a tractor-trailer smashed into them from behind.

The boy and an eight-year-old girl were airlifted to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax with life-threatening injuries after the crash. But police confirmed the boy died in hospital Wednesday morning.

Police said the eight-year-old is in stable condition.

Coun. Tim Outhit, who is a family friend of the woman driving the minivan, confirmed that both eight-year-old and three-year-oldgirls injured the crash were the daughters of the minivan driver. The boy who died was a neighbour, he said.

"I can imagine [the families are] going through hell, to be honest with you. I know that I have had brief contact with the father and expressed my condolencesmy wife and I and to let him know that the community and his neighbours are thinking of them and are in our thoughts and prayers," he said.

A woman and a three-year-oldgirl were in Hants Community Hospital in Windsor, but have since been released.

The four travelling in the minivan are from Bedford, Outhit confirmed.

A prayer service for the familiesis being held Wednesday evening at St. Ignatius church in Bedford. It begins at 7 p.m.

The driverofthe tractor-trailer,a 59-year-old from Montreal,was originally charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Following the boy's death, that charge was upgraded to dangerous driving causing death.

Hesuffered injuries that were not life-threatening. He was treated in hospital and released.

Henow has a pending charge of dangerous driving causing death. Police said speed was a factor in the crash.

A man and a woman in the motor home were not injured.