Close X
Monday, October 7, 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

B.C. Coroner's death panel recommends issuing drugs without prescription to stop ODs

B.C. Coroner's death panel recommends issuing drugs without prescription to stop ODs
A death review panel from the British Columbia Coroners Service is recommending community groups be allowed to hand out drugs without a prescription in an attempt to stop the relentless overdose death toll. The panel's report coincided with the monthly overdose death toll of 175 people in September, which the coroners service says is a 10 per cent drop from the same month a year ago, but still equal to 5.8 deaths a day across B.C. 

B.C. Coroner's death panel recommends issuing drugs without prescription to stop ODs

Vehicle thief arrested in Abbotsford

Vehicle thief arrested in Abbotsford
A woman accused of stealing nearly two dozen vehicles -- many of them work vans loaded with expensive tools -- has been arrested in Abbotsford. Police in that Fraser Valley city say charges against Charlene Williams are linked to thefts stretching back to January.

Vehicle thief arrested in Abbotsford

Former B.C. premier John Horgan will be Canada's next ambassador to Germany

Former B.C. premier John Horgan will be Canada's next ambassador to Germany
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that former British Columbia premier John Horgan has been appointed as Canada's next ambassador to Germany.  A statement from the Prime Minister's Office says Horgan has a proven track record of dedicated public service and will provide strategic advice to Trudeau in his new role. 

Former B.C. premier John Horgan will be Canada's next ambassador to Germany

Reasons for releasing Chinatown stabbing suspect should be public: B.C. Review Board

Reasons for releasing Chinatown stabbing suspect should be public: B.C. Review Board
A British Columbia man accused of a triple stabbing in Vancouver's Chinatown in September has lost his bid to seal a document that identified him as a "significant threat" before he was released from a forensic psychiatric hospital. A B.C. Review Board panel said the presumption of the board's open process overrides Blair Donnelly's concerns that releasing the documents would invade his personal privacy or prejudice an upcoming trial. 

Reasons for releasing Chinatown stabbing suspect should be public: B.C. Review Board

B.C.-based Helijet orders first electric vertical-takeoff aircraft

B.C.-based Helijet orders first electric vertical-takeoff aircraft
Vancouver-based Helijet International has placed what it says is Canada's first order for an electric vertical-takeoff aircraft to add to its current fleet of passenger and cargo helicopters. Helijet president Danny Sitnam said Tuesday that the ALIA aircraft built by Vermont-based BETA Technologies would allow quicker, quieter and more efficient landings and takeoffs from hospitals and other emergency zones.

B.C.-based Helijet orders first electric vertical-takeoff aircraft

Medication could have been confused with Halloween treats in Colwood, B.C.: Police

Medication could have been confused with Halloween treats in Colwood, B.C.: Police
Police in a community west of Victoria are urging parents to check their children's Halloween candy carefully for medication that might have been mistakenly handed out to trick-or-treaters. West Shore RCMP say they received a call from a senior living in Colwood, near the intersection of Bette Drive and Charlotte Drive.

Medication could have been confused with Halloween treats in Colwood, B.C.: Police