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
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.