A GO Transit bus driver has been charged in connection to a January crash that took the life of a passenger, according to the Ontario Provincial Police. The accident happened on Highway 407 in Vaughn.
Authorities said the Go bus was headed east on the highway near Weston Road around 10 p.m. on Jan. 14 when it left the road and rolled into the grassy median. A steel guardrail pierced the windshield and shot through the center aisle of the bus. A 56-year-old Brampton woman was ejected from the vehicle and crushed beneath it, resulting in her being pronounced dead at the accident scene.
The bus was traveling from Hamilton to York University. A representative of GO Transit said no camera was on board the bus, but it did have a diagnostic computer that tracked the vehicle’s speed. They also said the bus had been in service for eight years and was in good mechanical shape. The bus driver, a 66-year-old man, had more than 15 years of experience with the public transportation service. GO has no mandatory retirement age for drivers, but they are required to undergo training refresher courses.
In addition to facing criminal charges, a driver who causes a fatal bus accident may be sued in civil court by the families of deceased victims. With the assistance of a personal injury lawyer, a victim’s family could use police and accident reconstruction reports to prove a negligent driver was responsible for the death of their loved one. A successful wrongful death claim could bring the family needed compensation for funeral costs, loss of income and other damages.