All three killed in Friday crash were on OC Transpo bus, police chief clarifies Article content All three people who died in a bus crash late Friday afternoon were on the bus, Ottawa police said Wednesday. The statement clarifies an earlier comment made in the immediate aftermath of the crash by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who had stated that one of the three people who died had been on the platform at Westboro Station. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or All three killed in Friday crash were on OC Transpo bus, police chief clarifies Back to video Addressing reporters at a news conference Wednesday, Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau said police had initially identified one of the deceased as being on the platform at the time of the crash. Investigators have since concluded that all three were on the bus. The crash claimed the lives of Judy Booth, 57, Bruce Thomlinson, 56, and Anja Van Beek, 65. Two other people were ejected from double-decker and injured. No pedestrians on the platform were physically injured, Bordeleau said. “Our investigative team continues to work on identifying all the passengers and to interview victims and witnesses to this collision. That process is expected to take weeks,” Bordeleau said Wednesday.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Denley: OC Transpo crash – all public transit puts riders at risk Denley: OC Transpo crash – all public transit puts riders at risk It’s not too soon to consider whether we need to make transit buses as safe as everything else on the road. It wouldn’t be cheap, but human life shouldn’t be, either. OTTwp Article content As a result of the horrific bus crash at Westboro Station, people are asking if double-decker buses are unsafe. We are missing the bigger point. Every transit bus on the road has inadequate safety provisions. Public transit is a system that puts riders at risk by design. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Denley: OC Transpo crash – all public transit puts riders at risk Back to video Every day in Ottawa, people ride on OC Transpo buses that go barrelling down the Queensway. Those lucky enough to get seats have no seatbelts. Passengers who are forced to stand can grip a strap or a metal rod, if they can reach one. Keeping your balance is a challenge every time a bus swings around a corner. The interior of the bus is full of hard metal surfaces, just waiting to injure a stumbling passenger. And yet car drivers using the same road are protected by mandatory seatbelts and an array of air bags. How can that make sense? Keeping your balance is a challenge every time a bus swings around a corner. The interior of the bus is full of hard metal surfaces, just waiting to injure a stumbling passenger. Canada is finally waking up to safety on other kinds of buses. Transport Canada has decreed that all large and medium highway buses must have seatbelts by Sept. 1, 2020. In announcing the change, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said, “By having seatbelts on highway buses, we can help reduce injuries in severe collisions, such as rollovers, and improve safety for everyone.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Transport Canada hasn’t been as smart about school buses. In 1984, the federal agency conducted a study that concluded that school buses didn’t need seatbelts because, in the event of a crash, students would just bounce harmlessly off the high, padded seats. That odd conclusion held until a 2018 CBC investigation revealed an unreleased 2010 Transport Canada study that found school buses failed safety tests and did not do enough to prevent “serious injuries.” Transport Canada is now looking at seat belt safety in school buses, but former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne wants quicker action. She has introduced a private member’s bill in the Ontario legislature, calling for all new school buses to have seatbelts starting in 2020, and older buses to be retrofitted by 2025. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Since 1999, 16 students have been killed in school bus accidents in Ontario and more than 6,000 have been injured. Improved safety for yellow school buses could be coming, but what about the thousands of students who use OC Transpo every day? Enhanced transit bus safety remains a blind spot. It seems to be an issue that is neither studied nor discussed. It’s not that difficult to see why government wants to look the other way. For public transit, adding seatbelts would be a major cost. School bus seat belts would cost about $10,000 a bus. That would be a multi-million-dollar cost for OC Transpo alone. The bigger problem is what to do about standing passengers. The current model of articulated bus from the company New Flyer carries 59 passengers in seats and 57 standing. Were government to ban standing in buses, it would mean twice as many buses and twice as many operators to run a public transit system. The cost of a bus system where all riders had seats and seatbelts, and there was no standing in the aisle, is certainly unattractive. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content And yet, the way we approach transit passenger safety is a throwback from the era when people believed it was fine to let the kids roll around in the back of a station wagon, or that riding in the bed of a pickup truck on the highway was a smart thing to do. We don’t yet have enough details about last week’s Ottawa crash to know if seatbelts or no standing in the aisles would have reduced injuries or fatalities, but it’s not too soon to consider whether we need to make transit buses as safe as everything else on the road. It wouldn’t be cheap, but human life shouldn’t be, either. Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator and novelist. Contact him at randalldenley1@gmail.com MORE COVERAGE Victims of Westboro OC Transpo crash identified Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Please try again Trending<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Ottawa police are remaining tight-lipped as they continue to investigate the cause of a bus collision that claimed three lives on Friday. “This will be a long and detailed and complex investigation,” Sgt. Cameron Graham of the Ottawa police collision investigation unit said at a press conference Saturday. “We are reviewing all aspects of the collision including the vehicle, the roadway, the weather and the driver’s actions,” he added. In addition to the three fatalities, 23 were injured after a OC Transpo double-decker bus hopped a curb and struck a transit shelter at about 3:50 p.m. Friday. Story continues below advertisement Police said first responders worked through the night to investigate and identify the victims, though the process is ongoing and no names have been released. Just after 7 p.m. on Saturday, police said the collision unit had completed its documentation at the scene and local road closures had been lifted. The bus involved in Friday’s crash has been towed from the scene and is waiting to leave the transitway #ottnews pic.twitter.com/3rqa0uVykt — Mike Le Couteur (@mikelecouteur) January 12, 2019 The Ottawa Hospital tweeted Saturday morning that it’s currently treating one patient in critical condition, six patients in serious condition and four patients in stable condition in relation to the crash. The police force said the driver of the bus, who had been detained for questioning, has been “released unconditionally pending further investigation.” At a press conference on Friday evening, Police Chief Charles Bordeleau said “something” at the scene led police officers to arrest the driver and bring her into police headquarters. Story continues below advertisement On Saturday, however, he said he wanted to make clear that the public shouldn’t “read into” the fact she was arrested. The upper deck of the bus is half gone #ottawa #Ottnews pic.twitter.com/FFHZlwYL78 — Mike Le Couteur (@mikelecouteur) January 12, 2019 Officials said Friday that two of those killed were on the bus while the third was on the platform of Westboro station, a major stop on the city’s Transitway west of downtown Ottawa. WATCH: ‘Important not to read into arrest of driver’: police on Ottawa bus crash 0:50 ‘Important not to read into arrest of driver’: police on Ottawa bus crash ‘Important not to read into arrest of driver’: police on Ottawa bus crash – Jan 12, 2019 Bordeleau clarified Saturday that was based on initial information and the location of the victims at the time of the crash is still under investigation. The westbound bus, which was headed to Bridlewood in the south end of Kanata, appeared to have rammed into the shelter at the station. Images taken at the scene show the front of the double-decker bus ripped off. Story continues below advertisement Fire crews used ladders to get passengers off the top level of the bus. The police chief said the most serious injuries were inflicted on those sitting on the upper-right side of the bus. Monica Lung passed the scene of the collision on her daily bus ride home from Carleton University. READ MORE: Kanata South councillor looks to help community heal after bus crash “I knew it would be bad just by looking at the number of emergency vehicles, but then when my bus kind of passed and I saw the front, I felt like my heart broke,” she told Global News. The bus she was on was following the same route, she said, and was just 200 metres behind the one that crashed. She passed the wreckage so soon after it happened that emergency vehicles hadn’t even arrived yet. WATCH: Carleton student recalls horrifying aftermath scene of Ottawa bus crash 5:28 Carleton student recalls horrifying aftermath scene of Ottawa bus crash Carleton student recalls horrifying aftermath scene of Ottawa bus crash – Jan 12, 2019 “My first thought was, ‘I don’t know how anyone could survive that,’” she continued. “I think everyone on my bus felt the same, and then the whole way home no one was speaking. It was really shocking.” Story continues below advertisement Graham said Saturday that investigators are currently collecting video and other evidence and conducting calculations to determine the speed of the vehicle. They will also be flying a drone over the area as part of the reconstruction process. He said police are still looking to speak to witnesses — the bus had a capacity of 90 people and it’s believed it was full or near full at the time of the crash. “If you were on the bus and have not spoken to the police and given us your contact information, we request that you contact us,” Graham said. The tragedy led to an outpouring of grief from Ottawa and beyond. Story continues below advertisement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his condolences Friday night following the incident, and thanked first responders who came to the aid of the injured. “I want to send my deepest condolences to the families of victims and everyone affected by today’s tragic bus crash in Ottawa. Thank you to the first responders who rushed to help — we’re monitoring the situation closely,” he said. I want to send my deepest condolences to the families of victims and everyone affected by today’s tragic bus crash in Ottawa. Thank you to the first responders who rushed to help – we’re monitoring the situation closely. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 12, 2019 His note was accompanied by messages from several public officials, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative leader Andrew Scheer. The City of Ottawa said a book of condolences will be available at city hall starting on Monday for those wishing to extend sympathies. Residents can convey their sympathies to families and victims of the Westboro Station bus collision. A Book of Condolences will be available at Ottawa City Hall from noon Monday, January 14 until end of day Sunday, January 20. https://t.co/oNXf0AUj8v — City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) January 13, 2019 Devastated to hear about those who lost their lives and were injured following the horrific bus collision at Westboro Station in Ottawa.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email A double-decker bus operated by Ottawa’s OC Transpo crashed into a bus shelter Friday, leaving three people dead and 23 hurt. The incident happened just over five years after another deadly accident involving a double-decker bus, which took place in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven. WATCH: 23 people injured, 3 dead following fatal Ottawa bus crash: mayor 0:52 23 people injured, 3 dead following fatal Ottawa bus crash: mayor 23 people injured, 3 dead following fatal Ottawa bus crash: mayor – Jan 11, 2019 It was 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 18, 2013 when OC Transpo bus number 8017 pulled into the Fallowfield Bus Station on express route 76. Story continues below advertisement The bus was heading to downtown Ottawa on the Transitway, a private roadway that’s been set aside for commuter buses, said a report by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). WATCH: Sept. 24, 2014 — TSB said speed, distraction factors in Ottawa bus crash Along the Transitway was a left-hand curve that led to Woodroffe Avenue, where the roadways ran parallel and a railway crossed them both. At the bus’ wheel, the driver would have been faced with all the usual controls and a few additional pieces of technology — like a video monitor screen measuring six inches by four inches. This monitor showed feeds from four different cameras on the bus: one showed the upper deck, and any OC Transpo driver was supposed to look at it at bus stops and while the vehicle was in service. Story continues below advertisement READ MORE: TSB — Multiple factors caused fatal Ottawa bus-train accident, including driver distractions While the bus was stopped at Fallowfield, neither the driver nor his 95 passengers knew that flashing lights, bells and gates had activated along the railway some distance ahead to signal a train was coming. The bus pulled out of the station 10 seconds after those signals were triggered — and four minutes behind schedule. As the bus pulled out, one passenger was standing near the top of the double-decker’s stairs and would have been visible on the driver’s monitor screen. No passenger was supposed to be standing on the top deck — and it was the driver’s job to look at the screen and remind them. WATCH: Debris lines transitway in Ottawa after fatal bus crash 0:53 Debris lines transitway in Ottawa after fatal bus crash Debris lines transitway in Ottawa after fatal bus crash – Jan 11, 2019 As the bus approached the left-hand curve on the Transitway, the driver would have heard passengers talking about seating that was available on the deck above them. Story continues below advertisement The driver looked up toward the monitor at this time. Along the railway, Via Rail passenger train number 51 was about to cross Woodroffe Avenue and the Transitway en route to Toronto. Warnings had been activated for more than 30 seconds. READ MORE: Photos and videos from devastating Ottawa bus crash Inside the bus, however, no one would have been able to hear the bells — and with the gates and flashing lights hidden by trees, foliage, signage and the bus’ front pillars, the driver wouldn’t have been able to see that a train was coming. The bus was travelling at 67.6 km/h — 7.6 km/h above the speed limit. Suddenly, passengers noticed the train and yelled out at the driver to stop and look out. The driver then hit the brakes smoothly — as he had been trained to do — and that lengthened the bus’ stopping distance. View image in full screen The bus in which six people died is towed away from the site of the fatal bus and train crash in Ottawa, Thursday, September 19, 2013. Six people died in the crash between a Via Rail train and a city bus on Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand . The bus hit the train after its speed had slowed to 7.7 km/h. Story continues below advertisement The collision killed the driver and five passengers, hurt nine others seriously and left 25 passengers with minor injuries. No one was hurt on the train. The double-decker might have avoided the collision had it stopped just 0.4 metres sooner. TSB investigators blamed the crash on a number of factors, none were driver error. “Given the circumstances, this accident could have happened to just about any driver,” TSB lead investigator Rob Johnston said in 2015, when the board’s report was released. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Given the circumstances, this accident could have happened to just about any driver," TSB lead investigator Rob Johnston said in 2015, when the board's report was released. Visual distraction was one factor identified in the crash. Drivers are expected to inspect the video monitor when their buses reach stops, and when they’re in service. Drivers, the TSB determined, would need to “periodically glance at the screen” while the bus was moving in order to monitor passengers standing on the upper deck. READ MORE: Bus in deadly Ottawa train crash was ‘over the speed limit,’ says TSB “Research has determined that a driver’s glances away from the forward visual scene, especially glances lasting two seconds or longer, are significantly associated with accidents and near accidents,” the report said. Cognitive distraction was another factor. Story continues below advertisement The driver had spoken with at least one more passenger about sitting on the bus’ upper deck before the vehicle left Fallowfield station, the report said. And as the bus travelled, the driver would have heard passengers discuss seating. WATCH: Sept. 24, 2014 — City of Ottawa responds to TSB report on fatal bus/train crash “This combination of factors, along with the perceived need to make a no-standing-on-upper-deck announcement, created a situation where the driver was likely cognitively distracted in the seconds prior to the accident,” the report said. The TSB recommended “comprehensive guidelines” for the use of in-vehicle video monitoring displays to lower the risk of driver distraction. WATCH: Sept. 18, 2014 — Survivor remembers fatal Ottawa bus crash one year later Distraction wasn’t the only factor in this crash, however.<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email Police investigators probing the possible causes of Friday’s fatal double-decker bus crash at Westboro transit station have ruled out impaired driving as one of them, Ottawa police say. Three people died and 23 more were injured — some critically — when a double-decker OC Transpo bus smashed into the overhang of a transit shelter at Westboro station around 3:50 p.m. on Friday, at the start of the afternoon rush hour. READ MORE: Police identify victims in deadly Ottawa bus crash Police haven’t released many details on their investigation since Friday, noting it is still in its early stages and will be “long and complex and detailed.” Police say they’re examining a number of factors and conditions in their investigation — including the bus, the roadway, the weather and the driver’s actions. Story continues below advertisement But investigators have ruled out impaired driving from that list of possible causes, a spokesperson for the Ottawa police said. Police have not publicly released the name of the driver, who was arrested at the scene shortly after the collision on Friday afternoon. She was brought in for questioning and later released, police said. At a news conference on Saturday, Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau urged residents not to “read into” the driver’s arrest. The Ottawa Police Service’s collision investigation unit is leading the probe into the crash. Since Friday, some experts have called for independent investigators to look into the cause of the crash. After an OC Transpo double-decker bus and Via Rail train collided in Barrhaven in 2013, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) was brought in to investigate because of the involvement of a train. In response to a question during a brief media availability at city hall on Monday afternoon, Mayor Jim Watson said he doesn’t think the TSB should be investigating Friday’s fatal crash. “No, I think the expertise lies with the Ottawa Police Service,” Watson said. “I have full confidence they will do a thorough investigation and when appropriate, release as much information as possible so we can ensure that this hopefully never happens again.” Story continues below advertisement WATCH: TSB shouldn’t be involved in Ottawa bus crash investigation, Watson says 7:22 TSB shouldn’t be involved in Ottawa bus crash investigation, Watson says TSB shouldn’t be involved in Ottawa bus crash investigation, Watson says – Jan 14, 2019 The TSB addressed questions about its involvement (or lack thereof) on Monday afternoon in a press release, saying its mandate is restricted to investigating incidents involving “air, marine, rail and pipeline modes.” “The TSB is not mandated to investigate road accidents and therefore cannot undertake its own investigation into Friday’s bus accident,” the release said. “The TSB must respect the existing laws and jurisdictions. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is the lead investigation body into the causes of this accident.” The release noted the independent agency has “reached out” to Ottawa police and the coronor’s office and offered the assistance of their technical experts. “The TSB will stand-by ready to provide any assistance these organizations may require for their ongoing investigations,” the release said. READ MORE: Ottawa distress centre getting more calls in wake of deadly bus crash Story continues below advertisement The double-decker that crashed was on Route 269, headed towards Bridlewood, a neighbourhood in the south end of Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa. That bus normally doesn’t stop at the Westboro transit station on its afternoon run to Bridlewood. The bus held around 90 passengers and police said on Saturday they believe it was near or at full capacity at the time of the crash. Police on Monday identified the three victims of the collision as 56-year-old Bruce Thomlinson, 57-year-old Judy Booth, and 65-year-old Anja Van Beek. – With files from The Canadian Press