A fifteen-year-old student remains in hospital with serious injuries following a collision near a Mississauga secondary school yesterday afternoon, reigniting concerns about traffic safety in school zones across the Greater Toronto Area.
The incident occurred shortly after 3:15 p.m. when classes were dismissing at John Fraser Secondary School near Erin Centre Boulevard and Plantation Place. According to Peel Regional Police, the teenager was struck while crossing at a marked intersection where crossing guards were present.
“We received multiple calls about a pedestrian struck,” said Constable Jennifer McLeod of Peel Regional Police. “Emergency services responded quickly, and the youth was transported to a trauma centre with injuries initially described as life-threatening.”
By evening, hospital officials had upgraded the teen’s condition to serious but stable. Family members, who requested privacy, were keeping vigil at the hospital.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as students were leaving school grounds. “Everyone was screaming and running toward where it happened,” said Aisha Mahmood, a Grade 11 student who was approximately 50 metres away when the collision occurred. “Teachers came running out to help before the ambulance arrived.”
This marks the third serious pedestrian incident in Peel Region school zones since September, according to Vision Zero Peel, a community advocacy group pushing for safer street design. The collision has intensified calls from parents and safety advocates for enhanced protection measures around schools.
“When are we going to stop treating these as isolated incidents and recognize the pattern?” asked Maria Cortes, chair of the John Fraser Secondary parent council. “Every afternoon, we see cars speeding through school zones, making illegal U-turns, and double-parking to pick up students.”
The City of Mississauga implemented reduced speed limits of 30 km/h in school zones in 2018, but enforcement remains a challenge. According to Mississauga Traffic Services data obtained through a freedom of information request, only 24 percent of drivers comply with posted school zone speed limits during peak dismissal times.
Local councillor Chris Fonseca, who represents the ward where the collision occurred, told me she’s pushing for automated speed enforcement cameras near all Mississauga schools. “We’ve seen how effective these have been in other jurisdictions. The data shows they change driver behaviour,” Fonseca said during our phone conversation late yesterday.
The Peel District School Board issued a statement offering support to students affected by witnessing the collision. “Our thoughts are with the injured student and their family during this difficult time,” the statement read. “Crisis response teams will be at the school tomorrow to provide counselling to any students who need it.”
For Sergeant Tim Wallace of Peel’s Traffic Safety Unit, yesterday’s collision highlights a broader problem. “School zones should be the safest places on our roads, not danger zones,” Wallace told me as he supervised the investigation. “We need a combination of engineering solutions, enforcement, and education to protect our most vulnerable road users.”
What makes this collision particularly troubling is that it occurred at a location with existing safety infrastructure. The intersection has a pedestrian crosswalk, school zone signage, and crossing guards during dismissal hours.
Parents arriving to pick up younger siblings witnessed the aftermath. “I’ve been complaining about this intersection for years,” said Rajesh Patel, whose daughter attends the nearby middle school. “Cars treat the school zone speed limit as a suggestion, not a rule.”
Statistics from the Ontario Traffic Council reveal that pedestrian collisions involving school-aged children spike between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, with September and October showing the highest incident rates.
Beyond immediate enforcement, traffic safety experts point to design solutions. “We know that physical changes to roads – narrower lanes, speed humps, raised crosswalks – are more effective than signage alone,” explained Dr. Pamela Robinson, urban planning professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. “These design elements force drivers to slow down regardless of enforcement presence.”
The investigation continues, and police are asking witnesses or anyone with dashboard camera footage to come forward. Investigators haven’t yet determined whether charges will be laid against the driver, who remained at the scene and is cooperating with police.
As students return to class today, the school community faces difficult conversations about road safety. The school board confirmed that a town hall on traffic safety, already scheduled for next month, will now focus specifically on prevention strategies for school zones.
For now, yellow police tape and road markings serve as stark reminders of yesterday’s events – and of the work still needed to ensure students can safely travel to and from school in one of Canada’s busiest urban regions.
