A bus driver who ran into the path of a tractor-trailer in western Manitoba last year was clearly responsible for the crash that killed 17 people, but he will not be investigated charges, authorities announced Wednesday.
“This is a very tragic collision, which occurred because of a choice made by the bus driver. However, we cannot prove that this choice that day was the result of anything criminal,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Superintendent Rob Lasson.
Superintendent Lasson, accompanied by other police officers and a Crown prosecutor, outlined the results of a year-long investigation into the accident on a section of the Trans-Canada Highway near Carberry, approximately 160 kilometers west of Winnipeg.
The minibus, which was transporting 24 seniors from the town of Dauphin to a casino, was traveling south on Highway 5 and approaching its destination when it arrived at an intersection with the Trans-Canada Highway on June 15, 2023.
Vehicles travel freely on the Trans-Canada Highway while those traveling on Highway 5 are greeted at the intersection by a stop sign. They must then head towards a central reservation, where there is a “Give way” sign before they can go any further. The weather was clear at the time of the accident.
The bus stopped, drove into the median and passed the “Give way” sign, even though a truck, heading east on the Trans-Canada Highway, was nearby and had the right of way. priority, explained Crown prosecutor Chris Vanderhooft.
“The bus driver did not seem to see the semi-trailer coming,” said Mr. Vanderhooft.
Blind spots on the bus, which the driver’s company had been operating for about a month, played a role, he added.
The truck driver tried to avoid the accident, but was unable to do so, Vanderhooft added. The tractor-trailer’s dashboard video was a key part of the investigation.
The bus driver was not on his cellphone at the time of the crash and toxicology reports did not detect any substances that could impair his ability to function, Vanderhooft said.
The Crown considered the dangerous driving charges but decided there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.
“A momentary inattention does not constitute dangerous driving,” he argued.
The bus driver suffered severe brain damage and is unable to care for himself without help. RCMP said it was unlikely he would ever speak to them about the accident.
A memorial to the victims was unveiled earlier this month in Dauphin, where most of the victims were from.
