The driver of a mini-bus involved in the deadliest crash in Manitoba history has not recovered from his injuries and may never be capable of providing a statement to investigators.
The news comes days before the one-year anniversary of the horrific collision that killed 17 people on the Trans-Canada Highway near Carberry last June 15.
“We have to respect the privacy of the driver, but I can say that the results of the accident have (caused) some severe medical issues for the driver and he is not able to provide those answers,” RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson said Thursday.
RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES
RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson says prosecutors have power to determine whether charges will be laid.
Lasson, who oversees major crimes services in Manitoba, met with reporters at RCMP’s D Division Headquarters in Winnipeg to provide a statement as the force concludes its review into the deadly crash.
For the last year, investigators have been piecing together the events leading to the collision. Interviews with crash survivors, vehicular analysis and forensic reports formed parts of an investigation disclosure package police provided to the Crown in January, Lasson said.
The police force has fulfilled its “No. 1 priority” of finding answers for the public, the victims and their families, he said.
“Even though we may never be able to speak with the driver, unfortunately, there’s a lot of other components and parts of an investigation that we have gathered evidence on that will corroborate and support the answers we’ve gotten to,” Lasson said.
“We needed to get this right and I’m confident that we did. I promise the families and the public that we have accurate answers.”
“We needed to get this right and I’m confident that we did. I promise the families and the public that we have accurate answers.”–RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson
He did not reveal details of the investigation but said prosecutors have power to determine whether charges will be laid.
RCMP previously said the bus was heading southbound on Highway 5 at the Trans-Canada Highway intersection when it crossed into the path of a semi-trailer heading eastbound with the right of way.
Dashcam video from the truck was reviewed and corroborated by witnesses, police said.
The bus carried 25 people — mostly seniors — from Dauphin and the surrounding area. The eight survivors were seriously injured and their “lives were permanently changed,” Lasson said.
The 17 Carberry crash victims: Top row from left: Louis Bretecher, Margaret Furkalo, Vangie Gilchrist, Ann Hill. Second row, from left: Arlene Lindquist, Dianne Medwid, Nettie Nakonechny, Shirley Novalkowski. Third row, from left: Jean Rosenkranz, Lillian Stobbe, Donna Showdra, Patsy Zamrykut. Fourth row, from left: Helen Kufley, Frank and Rose Perzylo, Claudia Zurba, Catherine Day.
The tragedy rocked the province and captured national attention, drawing comparisons to the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan that left 16 dead and 13 injured. Transport truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was later sentenced to eight years in prison for causing the crash.
The Manitoba government commissioned a review of the Carberry intersection, revealing numerous safety concerns, including an inadequate median, driver confusion, sightline obstructions and inconsistent signage.
An in-depth third-party report made three short-term recommendations: widen the median, build a roundabout or establish an RCUT (restricted crossing U-turn or J-turn) which prevents drivers from driving straight through an intersection.
Provincial officials pledged $12 million to fund the preferred redesign, which was to be determined, in part, by community consultations.
That consultation process will begin before the end of June, a provincial spokesperson said in a statement to the Free Press.
“No decisions on the final design have been made yet” the spokesperson wrote.
The tragedy continues to affect the Mounties who responded to the crash, Lasson said.
“This was a very chaotic, sad scene to attend and it will stick with the investigators for the rest of their lives,” he said, noting the RCMP has processes in place to help manage trauma and has been monitoring the involved officers.
Most of the officers who responded to the crash have returned to active duty, he said.
Some of them will be in Dauphin Saturday when the community unveils a memorial honouring the crash victims.
“It will be very emotional. There will be mourning, grieving,” he said. “Police officers are people, too. When we experience things like this, there is a personal connection and we can’t help that.
He offered condolences to the victims and their families, saying the police force “will never forget your loved ones, and our thoughts will always continue to be with you.”
— with files from Katrina Clarke
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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