Olivia Rourke dies in fatal Walkerton car crash

Olivia Rourke dies in fatal Walkerton car crash

Fatal Walkerton car crash death of Olivia Rourke – Obituary

Olivia Rourke, a student at Walkerton District Community School, tragically died in a fatal collision on May 23, 2025, near Walkerton, Ontario. She was traveling with three fellow students and their teacher, Matt Eckert, when their SUV was struck by a tractor trailer at the intersection of Cobble Hills Road and Thorndale Road.

The group was returning home from a school softball tournament in Dorchester when the accident occurred. All five occupants of the SUV were pronounced dead at the scene.

Olivia is being remembered as a vibrant, kind-hearted student with a love for sports and strong connections to her peers and teachers. Her life, along with those of classmates Rowan McLeod, Kaydance Ford, Danica Baker, and their teacher Mr. Eckert, was tragically cut short in the crash.

A candlelight vigil is scheduled to take place at dusk on Sunday at Walkerton District Community School. In a symbolic gesture of remembrance, community members are also being asked to place sneakers on their front steps in honour of Olivia and the others who were lost in the accident.