Driver found not guilty in 2019 fatal Ottawa transit bus crash
The Ottawa bus driver charged in the fatal 2019 Westboro bus crash has been found not guilty on all charges.
Aissatou Diallo, 44, faced three counts of dangerous driving causing death and 35 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in relation to the crash more than two-and-a-half years ago.
A judge rendered his verdict Wednesday morning, calling the case "tragic."
"The degree of human pain and loss suffered by so many has not eluded me," Justice Matthew Webber said in his ruling. "However, to convict Ms. Diallo would be to cast the net far too wide."
Three people died and nearly two-dozen others were injured when the double-decker OC Transpo bus Diallo was driving crashed into the overhanging shelter at the Westboro bus station.
Diallo's lawyers argued that there were a number of factors that led to the crash, including lane markings on the road left over from construction that misled her. Her lawyer said on Wednesday she never should have been charged.
"This is a case where charges never should have been laid," her lawyer Solomon Friedman told reporters after the verdict. "She did her very, very best under unbelievably challenging circumstances," he said.
"All you need to do is watch the video. See the blinding sun, see the lights, see the road markings that should have been obliterated properly but never were...when you take that in concert with the ice and snow-filled gutter on the side of the road, Ms. Diallo didn't have a chance."
Bruce Thomlinson, 56, Judy Booth, 57, and Anja Van Beek, 65, were killed in the crash.
Members of Thomlinson and Booth's family were in the courtroom for the verdict.
Booth’s daughter broke down in tears when the not-guilty verdict was read out.
Mayor Jim Watson said the verdict will be difficult for some people to hear.
"We may not like the decision, but we have to support it," he said. "This has obviously been stressful for the drive herself, as you can well imagine ... but our first thoughts of course are with the family and friends of the three individuals who lost their lives on that tragic day."
More to come...
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
How to overcome 'savings guilt' when you're living paycheque to paycheque
As the higher cost of living continues to squeeze household budgets, many Canadians find they have even less left over at the end of every month to squirrel away for the future.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.