Ottawa Tragedy: Man charged with impaired driving after fatal head-on crash at city’s west end kills Health Canada official

An Ottawa woman lost her life following a fatal head-on crash in the city’s west end on Wednesday evening (March 18, 2026). According to CTV News, a 31-year-old man is facing impaired driving charges following the crash, which involved a passenger van and a sedan on Carling Avenue, near Ullswater Drive, at approximately 7:15 p.m.

Emergency crews responded to the crash. The Ottawa Police Service said that a 52-year-old Ottawa woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Health Canada later told CTV News Ottawa that the victim was a security contractor with the department.

“Health Canada can confirm that a departmental security vehicle was involved in the incident, and the individual who was tragically killed was a Health Canada security contractor,” the department said in a statement Thursday evening, as quoted by CTV News. “We offer our sincere condolences to the families involved.” Police also confirmed that there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident.


Vicente Ramos, 31, was charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death and dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, police said on Thursday.

Ottawa Paramedic Service public information officer Marc-Antoine Deschamps told CTV News Ottawa Wednesday evening that paramedics treated two people at the scene. A man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Deschamps.

“Police are continuing the investigation, including processing the scene and examining the vehicles involved to determine the factors that led to the collision,” police said in a media release. “Police would like to speak with anyone who witnessed the collision or who may have dashcam or surveillance footage from the area at the time of the incident."