‘Our heart aches’: owner of bus in Trans-Canada crash

Mental health supports available for people struggling with aftermath 15 deaths

By: Cierra Bettens Posted: 3:05 PM CDT Saturday, Jun. 17, 2023

The owner of the company whose bus was involved in a crash that killed 15 seniors says she and her team are heartbroken.

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The owner of the company whose bus was involved in a crash that killed 15 seniors says she and her team are heartbroken.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2023 (819 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of the company whose bus was involved in a crash that killed 15 seniors says she and her team are heartbroken.

“Our heart aches for everyone. There are no words to describe what happened,” Ashlee Harvey, owner of Quality Care Transit, said by phone Saturday. “We’re just praying for the ones who are fighting right now, and our condolences go out to the families who have lost people.”

Ten people remain in hospital, with six in critical care, a Shared Health spokeperson said Saturday morning. They range in age from 58 to 88. Investigators are using a combination of fingerprint analysis, dental records and surgical history to identify the 15 victims who died, as many cannot be identified visually.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Prairie Mountain Health Region has set up mental health support teams offering services to people in Dauphin, Carberry, Brandon and Neepawa. — MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Prairie Mountain Health Region has set up mental health support teams offering services to people in Dauphin, Carberry, Brandon and Neepawa.

The bus, which was carrying 24 seniors from Dauphin, Man., on a casino excursion, was headed southbound on Highway 5 Thursday when it was struck by a semi truck driving east on the Trans-Canada Highway.

While stressing they were not assigning culpability or blame, RCMP said Friday that, based on dashcam footage and witness observations, the semi had the right of way.

Officers don’t know why the bus proceeded into the eastbound lanes of the Trans-Canada, where the speed limit is 100 km/h. Stop signs with flashing lights were installed on Highway 5 at the time of the crash.

Mounties released no new information Saturday; their investigation is expected to take months.

The bus driver is currently in hospital and hasn’t spoken to investigators.

“It’s a really sad thing that happened, so that’s all I want to say right now,” Harvey said.

To support the communities affected by the crash, the Prairie Mountain Health Region has set up mental health support teams offering services to people in Dauphin, Carberry, Brandon and Neepawa. In Dauphin, supports are available in person at Credit Union Place, a curling rink.