Diallo 'innocent' lawyers say on final day of Westboro bus crash trial
Aissatou Diallo's lawyers say what happened at Westboro station in January 2019 was a tragic accident that could have happened to anyone.
"Factors far beyond her control conspired together and they lead to a tragic result," Soloman Friedman told court. "In our law, tragic results are not automatically punished by criminal liability."
The defence said Diallo, who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of dangerous driving causing death and 35 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, was misled by lane markings on the road left over from construction which they say explains why she veered to the right before the bus slammed into two snowbanks, a rockface and then the shelter.
"There's no question at that point the sun is bright. It's blinding, it's directly in front of her," Friedman said.
In its submissions, the Crown said Diallo never braked or steered away.
"Recovery in that ice and snow-covered gutter would be difficult if not impossible," Friedman said, adding Diallo did try to steer away but didn't brake because she was taught not to under those conditions.
The Crown also contends Diallo wasn't paying attention, was speeding and didn't have control of the bus. Diallo's lawyer said while speed isn't irrelevant, "there's no legal speed limit on the Transitway."
"At the time Ms. Diallo was trained there was no formal approach to…ensure you got sufficient training on the type of bus that you would be driving more often," Friedman said of her training.
Friedman also said there's no evidence of distracted driving and that Diallo is "not just not guilty, she's innocent."
A date for the judge to deliver his verdict will be set on July 26.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.