Four visitors from Korea have succumbed to their injuries after a minivan carrying them and six other passengers was struck by a tractor trailer early Saturday evening.

The collision occurred at the intersection of Mississauga Road and Charleston Sideroad (formerly Highway 24) in Caledon at about 6:15 p.m.

The van, driven by Mi Sub Song of Etobicoke, was attempting to make a left turn to travel eastbound on Charleston Sideroad when it was struck by the westbound tractor trailer, driven by Keith Coulter from Joachim.

Ms. Song sustained non-life threatening injuries, while Mr. Coulter received no injuries.

The four passengers who died are Gi Hoon Lee, 76, Mi Sook Song, 41, Mikyeong Song, 34, and Chi Woo Song, 13.

The remaining six passengers, Heungsub Song, 39, In Wha Song, 77, Namho Cho, 6, Ha Ran Cho, 13, and Gayoung Kim, 8, were transported to Headwaters Health Care Centre, Sunnybrook Hospital and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

This collision brought Ontario's 30-year-old seat belt legislation under scrutiny by police officers on the scene.

The seven-passenger van was overcrowded and because of the language barrier, OPP in Caledon haven't been able to determine how many of the passengers were wearing seat belts.

The Highway Traffic Act currently states, "Every person who is a passenger on a highway in a motor vehicle in which a seat belt assembly is provided for the seating position occupied by the passenger shall wear the complete seat belt assembly in a properly adjusted and securely fastened manner."

The law has been scrutinized because nowhere in the Act does it restrict the number of passengers to the number of seat belts provided.

"Police officers enforce the act as written," said OPP Constable Linda Kennedy, the detachment's media relations officer. "If there is a seat belt provided, it must be worn."

Charges have not been laid against either driver. Witnesses to this collision are encouraged to call 905-584-2241.

In the Legislature Monday, Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield introduced a government bill designed to correct the situation, which she termed "legislation that will save lives on Ontario roads." Saying her heart "goes

out to the families of those who were killed in a terrible collision in Caledon this weekend," she noted that at present "there is nothing in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act to prevent people from getting into a vehicle that doesn't have enough seat belts. "Today the McGuinty government is putting a stop to that."

She said the proposed legislation would "ensure that everyone who gets into a vehicle on an Ontario road is safely secured," adding: "I call upon our honourable members to support our life-saving one person, one seat belt legislation."