Canada

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Cst. Jennifer Kovach poses in this undated handout photo. A 26-year-old police officer in Ontario was killed early Thursday morning when her cruiser hit a city bus. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Guelph Police Service

A young woman who fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a police officer was killed Thursday when she apparently lost control of her cruiser and crashed into a bus.

Guelph Police Const. Jennifer Kovach, 26, was a vibrant, gregarious and dynamic woman with a sense of adventure, Police Chief Bryan Larkin said.

"I cannot say enough about what an incredible human being she was," he said at a press conference.

"There are no words to express our sorrow. There are no words to express our sadness."

Kovach was responding to a call when her cruiser hit a Guelph Transit bus shortly after 12:30 a.m.

The bus had no passengers at the time and the driver, who had only minor injuries, provided "significant care" to Kovach, but after firefighters managed to extract her from her cruiser and she was taken to hospital, she was pronounced dead, Larkin said.

There was a light snowfall at the time and investigators are looking into whether road conditions were a factor, Larkin said.

"Const. Kovach was responding to a call for service in assisting another officer with a frontline call," he said.

"Regrettably, we believe (she) lost control of her cruiser and crossed the centre line and struck a transit bus."