Semi had right of way in horrific crash in Manitoba: RCMP

The horrific crash in Manitoba that killed 15 people happened when a passenger bus drove into the path of an oncoming truck on the Trans-Canada highway.

“We have obtained video footage of the collision that seized the semi-trailer,” said RCMP Superintendent Rob Lasson. “This video indicates that the bus entered the lane where the truck-trailer had the right of way,” Lasson told a news conference on the afternoon of June 16.

However, he cautioned that it is too early to pinpoint blame.

“We are not assigning or assigning blame at this point,” Lasson said. “We are only presenting the facts as we know them. The investigation is ongoing and there is still a lot of work to be done.”

Lasson said the video comes from a dashcam mounted on the front of the semi and investigators are trying to get the most out of it.

“Extensive analysis of the video is being conducted before any further decisions are made,” Lasson said. “At this point we don’t know why the bus entered the track…that’s something we’re continuing to look at.”

He added that RCMP has spoken to the driver of the truck but not the driver of the bus, who is still in hospital, and has seized both vehicles involved for further investigation.

“We are determining whether the semi had an event data recorder that will help us establish some critical bits of information, such as speed, exact coordinates and the vehicle’s mechanical status,” Lasson said. Investigators also took witness statements from passing motorists, who confirm what RCMP saw in the video.

Lasson added that the 10 injured in hospital have all been identified, meaning everyone on board the bus is presumed dead.

He said the ages of the people on the bus ranged from 58 to 88, with 19 women and six men. Six women and four men survived the crash.

Shared Health, Manitoba’s health authority, said the 10 patients who remain hospitalized will be cared for at the Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg and the Brandon Regional Health Center.

“Of those patients, six are in an intensive care unit and four are being cared for in a surgical ward,” Shared Health said in a press release.

Investigators have started identifying the bodies of the dead, but it will take time.
Dr. John Younes, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner, said his office will use fingerprints, dental records, surgical history and, as a last resort, DNA to help confirm the identities of the dead.

“The worst possible outcome for us is to accidentally identify someone and give misinformation to families,” Younes said. He said if all goes well, they hope to have all the victims identified by the middle of next week. He said most of them suffered significant trauma, making visual identification impossible.

“Currently there are three investigators working full-time on this case, trying to collect all the information we need to make the identification,” he said, adding that this is the worst mass casualty he has ever witnessed.

Lasson said a second support center for victims’ families has been set up in Winnipeg.

“Last night RCMP officers spoke to every family. After hearing the emotions and concerns of the families, the RCMP has now set up a second family support centre. So now we have one in Dauphin and one in Winnipeg,” he said.

He added that he is not sure how long the investigation will take, but warned that it could take months for police to learn everything.

“These investigations could even take longer than three months…it depends on what we find. We are constantly finding new information,” Lasson said.

The fatal crash occurred on the morning of June 15, near the town of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba.

RCMP said the semi was traveling east on the Trans-Canada Highway when it collided with the bus, which was traveling south on Highway 5.

The bus was mostly carrying Dauphin seniors on a day trip to a casino when the collision occurred.

In Ottawa, a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the crash at the end of Question Time in the House of Commons on Friday.

The flag on the Peace Tower has been lowered to half-mast in honor of the victims.

Lasson said it was also a very difficult time for the RCMP officers involved in the case.

“Our sincere condolences go out to the families who learned today that their loved one was killed in this horrific collision. Please know that the RCMP is here for you and we mourn alongside you,” he said.