Icefield buses add seatbelts, resume tours nearly 1 year after Jasper, Alta., crash
3 killed and dozens injured in rollover last summer
Seatbelts have been added to the massive sightseeing vehicles that tour an icefield near Jasper, Alta. following a fatal crash last summer.
Pursuit resumed operations of its Columbia Icefield Adventure May 21, less than a year after a rollover killed three passengers and injured 24 others.
New safety measures were added following a review by a multidisciplinary team, according to spokesperson Tanya Otis.
"The incident at the Columbia Icefield last July was tragic and we continue to extend our deepest condolences to everyone involved," she said in an emailed statement Saturday.
"Immediately following the accident last summer, we engaged a team of internal and external experts to identify any additional safety measures to add to our current operation."
Otis said that on top of seatbelts, the tour company has also implemented a new road maintenance and conditions measurement system as well as improved its in-house driving training program.
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In July last year, an all-terrain Ice Explorer lost control while carrying passengers on the road to the Athabasca Glacier. The bus, which was carrying 27 people, rolled about 50 metres down a moraine embankment before coming to rest on its roof.
Alberta RCMP responded to the crash and opened an investigation. A news release in December said an update is expected this spring.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against the operators in August.