MONTREAL — Two young actors, including a 17-year-old who was a voice of the children's cartoon character Caillou, were killed in an accident Monday when the minivan they were riding in hit a tractor trailer.

Jaclyn Linetsky performed the English-speaking voice of Caillou in the animated children's series for two years until January 2002. Montreal actor Vadim Schneider, 17, also was killed in the crash on Montreal's south shore. Another teen was in critical condition.

"There was a minivan that was going on the eastbound Highway 10," said Ronald Mc Innis, a spokesman for Quebec provincial police. "For some reason we don't know, the driver lost control and crossed the median and hit a truck, a 45-foot van." The minivan then burst into flames.

Caillou is a popular animated show for young children that's produced in English and French by the Montreal-based film company Cinar. Cinar president and CEO Stuart Snyder expressed his sympathies to Linetsky's family. "Jaclyn's voice enchanted thousands of children and viewers and she brought her own special personality and character to Caillou," Snyder said in a statement. "She was a very talented performer and will be deeply missed by us all."

Andrew Gryn, a former talent co-ordinator with Cinar, told CJAD Radio that Linetsky was a special girl. "She still was a (summer) camp counsellor," said Gryn. "Her mom said that when the kids found out she did the voice of Caillou they wouldn't let go of her. All the young tots were just after her and it was a blessing for her. She just kept giving."