B.C. school bus crash was ‘tragic accident,’ set off by medical event: police

100 MILE HOUSE, B.C. — Police in British Columbia say a June school bus crash followed by the death of a pedestrian was a “tragic accident” triggered when the 60-year-old bus driver suffered a medical event.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol says the evidence shows there was no criminality involved in the crash near Lac La Hache in the B.C. Interior, in which many children on the bus were hurt.

He says the driver, who is still recovering from serious injuries, will not face charges.

McLaughlin says a Good Samaritan who stopped to help was struck and killed by an SUV, but there was nothing criminal about that either, as the driver couldn’t see around the bend on Highway 97 and attempts to evade the 70-year-old man didn’t work.

He says there were no signs of impairment, carelessness, or distraction from the driver of the SUV, and the vehicle was going below the speed limit.

The bus was filled with 31 elementary school students and four adults when it drove off the highway into a ditch on June 21, resulting in injuries ranging from bruises to broken bones.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press