Close X
Sunday, October 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

No charges in B.C. 2022 Christmas Eve bus crash that left 4 dead

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Dec, 2023 11:35 AM
  • No charges in B.C. 2022 Christmas Eve bus crash that left 4 dead

The British Columbia Prosecution Service says there will be no charges stemming from a bus crash on an icy highway in the province's Interior last Christmas Eve that killed four people. 

Service spokesman Dan McLaughlin says it reached the decision after the Crown counsel assessing the allegations concluded that the standard for charges had not been met.

The prosecution service guideline says in order for charges to be approved, there must be a "substantial likelihood of conviction" based on the strength of the evidence as well as the public interest being served in a prosecution.

The crash of the bus operated by Alberta-based Ebus happened on Highway 97C, the Okanagan Connector, east of Merritt, when the bus went off the road and flipped on its side. 

Police said extremely icy road conditions caused the rollover, with driving conditions described as "very poor with ice and snow on the road surface along with rain and hail falling."

Four of the 40-plus people on the bus died in the crash, which prompted the Interior Health authority to trigger a code orange response for a mass-casualty event.

MORE National ARTICLES

Police incident in North Van shuts down Highway 1 yesterday, to deal with man's erratic behaviour

Police incident in North Van shuts down Highway 1 yesterday, to deal with man's erratic behaviour
North Vancouver R-C-M-P say they were alerted to a man "causing public alarm" Monday morning on the Mosquito Creek trail under an overpass, and officers had to confront his "aggressive" and threatening behaviour. 

Police incident in North Van shuts down Highway 1 yesterday, to deal with man's erratic behaviour

B.C. creates anti-racism data committee, releases research priorities

B.C. creates anti-racism data committee, releases research priorities
The British Columbia government has released 12 priorities for anti-racism research in its first update since the Anti-Racism Data Act came into effect last June. The province says the focus will be in areas such as racial diversity within the public service, interactions with the justice system and how health care and education differs for various demographic groups.  

B.C. creates anti-racism data committee, releases research priorities

New Democrat MP says she is target of foreign interference by China

New Democrat MP says she is target of foreign interference by China
Kwan said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spent an hour with her on Friday laying out the intelligence it possesses that she has been targeted by China since before the 2019 federal election over her advocacy for human rights in Hong Kong and for the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.

New Democrat MP says she is target of foreign interference by China

15 year old charged for Surrey robberies

15 year old charged for Surrey robberies
R-C-M-P in Surrey have charged a 15-year-old with a handful of street robberies. Police say they responded to three separate robbery reports on April 24th where bear spray was used to help the suspect steal cellphones and headphones.  

15 year old charged for Surrey robberies

B.C. police say remains of Madison Scott, last seen in 2011, have been found

B.C. police say remains of Madison Scott, last seen in 2011, have been found
Police have said she was 20 years old when she was last seen early in the morning of May 28, 2011. She had been at a party celebrating a friend's birthday at Hogsback Lake outside Vanderhoof, in central B.C. 

B.C. police say remains of Madison Scott, last seen in 2011, have been found

Province's minimum wage going up on June 1

Province's minimum wage going up on June 1
B-C's minimum wage will jump by one-dollar-and-10-cents per hour before the end of this week. The boost to the general minimum wage will increase it to 16-dollars-and-75-cents per hour on June 1st -- up from the current rate of 15-dollars-and-65-cents.

Province's minimum wage going up on June 1