100 Mile House school bus crash happened after driver suffered 'medical event,' RCMP say

Mounties say a school bus crash near 100 Mile House, B.C., in June that left more than 30 people injured — most of them children — and one person dead in the aftermath was caused by a medical incident involving the driver.

A school bus carrying 31 elementary-school students and four adults veered off Highway 97 north of Lac La Hache and went into a ditch on the afternoon of June 21, police said.

A man who had stopped to help at the crash site, around 150 kilometres north of Kamloops, B.C., was then struck and killed by a passing SUV.

Following a five-month investigation, RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin of B.C. Highway Patrol said police determined that the bus driver, a 60-year-old woman from the Cariboo region, experienced an unspecified "medical event" at the time that rendered her unable to control the bus.

"This is somebody who had no intention of hurting anyone that day, and that's very clear from our investigation," said McLaughlin, adding that the driver, who is still recovering from serious injuries, will not face charges.

B.C. Highway Patrol said in a statement Friday that it reviewed in-car computer data and video footage, took witness statements, and thoroughly examined the scene to determine the cause of the accident.

The fatal collision involving the man, who was in his 70s, occurred shortly after the bus crash.

McLaughlin said several vehicles had stopped to assist at the crash site, including one carrying a couple.

"The man who was in that couple was trying to help and we investigated very carefully the collision that killed that man and it was a tragic combination of circumstances," he said.

Police found the SUV driver was neither impaired nor distracted but was unable to avoid the pedestrian due to limited visibility caused by a bend in the road.

Impact on families and students

On Thursday, representatives of the B.C. Highway Patrol and 100 Mile House RCMP Victim Services met with the families of those affected by the crash to share the findings and provide support.

"More than 50 people took time out of their evenings to come and talk to us about this, and they were very candid about the struggles their children are having," McLaughlin said.

He noted that many of the children, who were in grades 6 and 7 at either 100 Mile Elementary or Horse Lake Elementary schools at the time, are still physically recovering and dealing with the psychological impact of the crash.

"These are little children that still have to use school buses and be around school buses, and some of them are scared," McLaughlin said.

While the investigation is complete, McLaughlin said police will continue working with the community to ensure children and families feel safe.

Sarah Duff, whose daughter Lena Unruh was on the bus that day, said the crash has left its mark on her family.

"She's still got some injuries that we're working on, but nothing major, and she just doesn't really like to talk about it," Duff said.

She said her daughter, who is in Grade 7, is grappling with the emotional toll of the crash.

"My daughter doesn't want to go on any field trips.They're little kids, they probably still haven't even processed it yet."

The mother added that she was disappointed with the school district's response, saying the support provided to students wasn't enough.

"There could have been more for the kids at the school," she said. "I think there was a counsellor at my daughter's school for an hour, maybe a couple hours one of the days afterwards."

In a statement Friday, the Cariboo-Chilcotin School District said it is reviewing the findings of the investigation and emphasized its commitment to improving safety.

The district said it recognizes the significant impact the crash has had, adding that counselling support is available for those affected.

The district also expressed condolences to the family of the man who was killed while trying to help.