The driver of the bus involved in a crash that killed 17 seniors nearly a year ago in southwestern Manitoba has been unable to speak to RCMP due to a medical condition caused by the accident — and investigators may never hear his perspective on the province’s deadliest bus crash.
The bus was carrying 25 people from Dauphin to a casino near Carberry on June 15, 2023, when it was in a crash with a semi-trailer truck on the Trans-Canada Highway. The eight survivors were all seriously injured.
Despite not being able to speak to the driver, Manitoba RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson said at a news conference Thursday that the police force is confident that enough information has been gathered to provide Crown prosecutors with enough evidence in the case. The Crown will review the evidence and decide whether to recommend charges.
There’s no exact timeline for when Crown prosecutors will make the decision, but he expects it will be sooner rather than later, Lasson said.
The complex investigation included talking to survivors, analyzing vehicles and securing forensic reports, he said.
First responders are still feeling the impacts of the being at the crash scene that day, something the force continues to monitor, he said.
The majority of officers involved in the response are back at work.