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The 19-year-old man accused in the death of Ottawa crossing guard Peter Clark has been charged with failing to stop after a fatal accident.
Xzander Wright appeared in court via video on Wednesday afternoon, wearing a black sweater and a sombre expression.
He will remain in custody until his next court appearance on Friday, when the judge said bail options will be discussed.
The crossing guard, identified as Peter Clark, was struck by a pickup truck around 8:20 a.m. while on duty at Cedarview Road and Kennevale Drive.
The intersection is near Mary Honeywell Elementary School in Ottawa’s southern suburb of Barrhaven. It’s a four-way stop with speed limits leading up to it of 40 and 60 km/h.
The driver fled the scene, police said. Police confirmed Tuesday morning that Clark, who was in his 50s, had died as a result of the collision.
On Tuesday afternoon, police said they’d made the arrest.
According to the Criminal Code, the charge can be laid when a driver either knew or was recklessly unaware that they were involved in a fatal collision with a person or another vehicle, but doesn’t stop to share information or help, without a reasonable excuse.
WATCH | A recap of what happened Monday, Tuesday:
Police arrest 19-year-old man in connection with fatal hit and run
A school crossing guard has died after being injured in a hit-and-run collision in Barrhaven on Monday morning, according to Ottawa police. CBC’s Joseph Tunney has the latest.
Clark’s death has been met with an outpouring of grief and support for crossing guards from school communities and politicians including Prime Minister and local MP Mark Carney.
My thoughts are with the family and friends of Peter Clark, a crossing guard and beloved member of our community in Nepean who was killed in a hit-and-run.
Thank you to the local authorities who are investigating this incident and working to bring justice following this terrible…
—MarkJCarney
Flags at all City of Ottawa facilities will be lowered to half-mast until the day of Clark’s funeral, according to Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
The mayor said on Wednesday that he’d spoken to Clark’s widow.
“She told me how much he enjoyed his work and seeing people everyday,” Sutcliffe said in a social media post. “I told [her] that the whole community grieves with her.”
Flags at half-mast at Ottawa’s city hall on March 25, 2026, after the death of a crossing guard in the city’s southern Barrhaven suburb. (Francis Ferland/CBC)