Skip to main content

People walk nearby after a Vancouver tour bus, right, struck three pedestrians and a parked car on Aug. 13, 2017.Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

The three tourists who were struck by a charter bus in Vancouver over the weekend were all from one family and visiting from Massachusetts, according to Vancouver police, who have taken the lead on the investigation.

One person died and two others were injured in the incident on Sunday. Vancouver Trolley Company, operator of the coach bus, on Monday said the bus was subject to frequent inspections and the driver had a spotless driver's abstract.

"All of us at Vancouver Trolley Company are shocked and deeply saddened about yesterday's tragic accident," general manager Stuart Coventry said. "Honestly, it's shaken us in a way we could never have really prepared for. Our thoughts are with the people who have been deeply and directly affected and their families. We can only imagine their pain and their suffering."

The incident occurred Sunday morning near Canada Place, a high-vehicle and pedestrian traffic area that is especially busy during the summer months. Free shuttles to and from local landmarks board in this area, the cruise ship terminal is there and people often jay-walk across the curved street near the city's waterfront.

Vancouver police Sergeant Jason Robillard said the bus was travelling at a slow speed when it struck three pedestrians and a parked vehicle. The bus came to a stop partially on the curb and images from the scene appeared to show three people trapped underneath.

The deceased is a 49-year-old man, Sergeant Robillard said. A 15-year-old girl sustained minor injuries and an elderly man sustained serious injuries, he said.

The bus in question was subject to daily pretrip inspections by the driver and biannual inspections by a licensed, third-party inspector.

The daily pretrip inspections cover lights, brakes, fluids and more – "every aspect of the vehicle," Mr. Coventry said."Over time, we have built an excellent safety record and have a high performance standard with the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement office," he said.

"The driver involved has been with our company for seven years and has an excellent service and driving record. He has a spotless driver's abstract with the National Safety Code office and, of course, he is co-operating fully with the investigation."

The company will not be conducting an internal investigation.

The driver, who is "devastated and traumatized," will not be returning to work until at least the conclusion of the investigation, Mr. Coventry said.

In a comment on the Vancouver Trolley Company's Facebook page, a woman who posted under the name Susi Deniz said she was on the bus at the time of the incident and said she saw the driver had tried to stop. "One minute after we started the trip the bus seemed to have a problem with the brakes and we definitely saw the driver trying to make it stop, we knew that we were about to crash (I thought against a car)," she said. "Everything happened really fast, just in 5 seconds or so. After the crash he was like in shock for a few minutes."

Vancouver Trolley Company reached out to passengers on the bus on Sunday and as of Monday were looking to contact the family directly affected through Vancouver police.

WorkSafeBC was not contacted about the incident, but is making inquiries to determine if it falls under its jurisdiction, a spokesperson said.

On Monday, a couple of bouquets of flowers sat curbside where the incident took place.

"You and your family are in the thoughts and prayers of the people of Vancouver," a card of sympathy read.

A stunt woman has died after a motorcycle crash on the Vancouver set of the Ryan Reynolds film, “Deadpool 2.” One witness says the incident happened “in a split second.”

The Canadian Press

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe