Two Trent University students who were heading home to Ottawa for Easter weekend were killed in a crash involving a car and a pickup truck southwest of the city on Thursday night.

Three young people were travelling in this car when it collided with a pickup truck in Beckwith Township on Thursday night. (CBC)

The collision happened at 8:45 p.m. on Old Richmond Road near Crooked Side Road, Ontario Provincial Police said.

The crash involved a Honda Civic and a GMC pickup truck. Three people were travelling in the car and three people were travelling in the truck, all of them under 25 years old.

Madeleine Havelock, 21, and Thomas Guerette, 22, were pronounced dead at the scene. They were both travelling in the car.

Another 21-year-old woman in the car, Guerette's girlfriend, suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was taken to hospital in critical condition. Her condition was upgraded to stable on Friday.

Students were heading home for Easter

Havelock's father, Glenn Havelock, told CBC News by phone Friday morning that Madeleine — known to everyone as Maddie — was on her way home to Barrhaven for the weekend. She was a third-year biology and environmental sciences student at Trent University in Peterborough.

Guerette was an acquaintance of hers, also from the Barrhaven area and also a student at Trent. Glenn said he was getting a ride home with his girlfriend, who was in the back seat.

Madeleine always drove the same route home, Glenn said, and would text her family when she got to Perth, Ont., to let them know she was close to home. She did so at 8 p.m., but by 9:30 p.m., she still hadn't arrived in Ottawa.

Her mother, Charlene Havelock, became worried. By 10 p.m. when Glenn got home, Charlene was distraught.

Glenn said he called Guerette's mother, who told him she hadn't heard from her son.

Maddie swerved car to avoid a deer, father says

"About the only thing I could do was head out," Glenn said.

He got in his car and drove the route, eventually coming upon the crash site.

He said he heard Madeleine may have swerved to avoid a deer.

"She was a great kid, just good, smart, just a great kid," her father said. "No trouble, had a bright future, very friendy. She was my wife's best friend."

Madeleine also leaves behind two brothers: Jared, 22, and Nicholas, 18.

Guerette was 3rd-year psychology student

Guerette was a third-year psychology student at Trent according to his older brother, Kevin Guerette.

"Tom was a very goofy, wacky guy. Never did what you expected him to do but he would just surprise you in some sort of funny way," Kevin said.

"I never realized how much I appreciated him until now that he's not here anymore."

Tom's passions were archery and cooking, Kevin said, adding that he studied psychology because he wanted to help people overcome their problems.

"That was who he was," Kevin said. "He wanted to help them in any way he could."

Tom also leaves behind another younger brother, Dave.

2 people in truck seriously injured

In the truck, the 23-year-old man behind the wheel suffered moderate shoulder injuries and was taken to hospital in stable condition.

A 25-year-old man in the front passenger suffered abdominal injuries and was in serious condition.

A 16-year-old boy in the rear passenger seat suffered shoulder and back injuries, and was listed in serious condition.

Old Richmond Road between Ashton Station Road and Derry Side Road was closed to traffic but later reopened, OPP said.