Charter bus slides off Hwy. 401 in eastern Ontario, no injuries reported

A Rider Express bus slid off Highway 401 near Odessa, Ont. Tuesday morning while travelling between Ottawa and Toronto. (Submitted)

No one was hurt when a charter bus slid off Highway 401 near Odessa, Ont. early Tuesday morning.

Ontario Provincial Police say the Rider Express bus with 14 passengers onboard slid off the highway while travelling in the westbound lanes.

A passenger told CTV News Ottawa a Rider Express bus was travelling from Ottawa to Toronto when the crash occurred. A photo showed the bus in the ditch along the highway, with the front of the bus and windshield damaged.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Rider Express says one of its buses “experienced a slip” on the highway near Kingston, Ont. “due to icy road conditions.”

“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our passengers is our top priority. While our drivers are trained to handle challenging road conditions, unforeseen incidents can still occur. We immediately assisted all affected passengers and provided them with new tickets free of charge,” a Rider Express spokesperson said.

“Rider Express remains committed to delivering safe and reliable transportation. We continuously review our safety protocols and procedures to enhance our services and support our passengers in every way possible.”

Police say 44-year-old from Ottawa is facing a charge of careless driving under the Highway Traffic Act.

Another bus was called to transport the passengers to their destination.

According to the Rider Express website, the bus departs Ottawa every Monday, Friday and Sunday at 11:59 p.m., arriving in Kingston at 2:45 a.m. and Toronto at 5:45 a.m.