On August 2, Amel Trari boarded a Société de transport de Lévis (STLévis) bus with her two children. Without realizing that this short journey will turn his life upside down.
Upon her arrival, the 50-year-old woman did not feel at ease. “The driver was not in normal condition. He was very agitated and he drove in a very dangerous manner,” she alleges, in an interview with The Soleil.
Around 3:30 p.m., just before entering the Quebec Bridge, the driver suddenly braked on the Saint-Louis road ramp. He narrowly avoids a collision with another car.
Sitting in the middle of the bus, Amel is thrown from her seat and propelled forward. “When he braked, I jumped almost two meters. I found myself with both legs crushed on the driver’s step,” she remembers.
A few moments later, another passenger came across Ms. Trari. The impact “broke both of his legs.”
Amel suffered a fracture in both legs. (Amel Trari)
Hospitalized for four months
The 50-year-old tourist was taken to hospital. Suffering from a fragmented fracture of her right tibia and a double fracture of her left ankle, she had to pay $7,000 immediately to have surgery the next day.
In an emergency, Ms. Trari’s mother joined her in Quebec to take care of her children and repatriate them to France.
For six weeks, the 50-year-old woman was stuck in the hospital. Unable to walk, she then spent two and a half months in rehabilitation. His doctor recommends that he receive this care in Quebec to ensure the follow-up of his surgery.
Amel still cannot get around without crutches. (Amel Trari)
After four months, Amel finally returns to France. “It was a nightmare. I had invested in this trip and was deprived of my children for four months. I just wanted to go home,” laments the victim.
Today, Amel Trari has significant after-effects. She cannot get around without crutches and has lost mobility in one knee.
No other passengers on the bus were injured in this event.
Dangerous driving?
On the day of the accident, the Quebec City Police Service (SPVQ) conducted an on-site investigation. “There was nothing to suggest a criminal event. It was quickly closed as being an accident,” says Laurence Godbout, spokesperson for the SPVQ.
However, the victim does not believe that the bus driver is white as snow. In his opinion he drove in a “dangerous” and “irresponsible” manner.
“If he had driven the speed limit, I would have tripped. My doctor told me the same thing. But he was speeding,” she assures.
Amel believes that the bus driver should have let the motorist pass sooner. “For three to four minutes, the driver was just speeding up instead of slowing down. He really didn’t want to let the other driver pass,” she said.
Complaint
On August 19, Ms. Trari filed a complaint with the Société de transports de Lévis.
“We have received your request. This is currently being processed. You will receive a response within 10 working days.”
— Extract from an email from STLévis sent to Amel Trari on August 20
Since then, Amel says she has received only one phone call. A representative of STLévis allegedly asked him which police officer was responsible for the case. “Apart from that, nothing,” she laments.
The victim says he is dissatisfied with the handling of this file by the transport company and the police department. “On both sides, they hushed up the affair. I still have after-effects. It’s like my life has no value. I will have lifelong consequences. It’s scandalous.”
Adequate speed
Contacted by The Sun, STLévis ensures that an internal investigation was carried out following this event, in accordance with the protocol in place.
“Our investigation shows that the GPS of the bus was traveling below the permitted speed on the southbound traffic axis,” indicates Sylvain Lévesque, spokesperson for STLévis.
The analysis concludes that “the driver attempted to avoid a collision with a vehicle which entered in front of the bus,” he continues.
Considering the results of the internal investigation, the driver involved is still employed by the Société de transport de Lévis.
