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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.