Three men have been taken to hospital following a crash involving a school bus and three pick-up trucks in Ottawa’s rural south end.

Emergency crews responded to the crash on Mitch Owens Road, near Manotick Station Road, just before 7:30 a.m. Monday.

Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick Defazio says the crash involved four vehicles, including a pick-up truck going “head-on with the school bus.”

“Two pick-up trucks were heavily damaged and one pick-up truck only had minor damage,” Defazio said. “One pick-up truck was in the ditch with the driver and the passenger unresponsive.”

Firefighters and police extricated two passengers from the pick-up truck in the ditch and began assessing them.

“The second pick-up truck with heavy damage had gone head-on with the school bus and the driver was trapped inside. A hose line was stretched as a precaution,” Defazio said. “Firefighters stabilized the vehicle and began the extrication process. Specialized tools were used and due to the severity of the driver being pinned.”

It took firefighters 30 minutes to remove the driver from the vehicle.

An Ottawa paramedic spokesperson says two men in one pick-up truck and the lone occupant of another pick-up truck were transported to hospital. One man was listed in critical condition, a man is in serious condition and the driver of the second vehicle was listed in serious but stable condition.

The driver of the school bus was treated at the scene for injuries and released.

Mitch Owens Road was closed between Bowesville Road and Manotick Station Road while police investigate.