Watch the video above: a woman killed in a crash between a school bus and truck was related to two children who were on the bus
BIGGAR, Sask. – A Saskatchewan community is in mourning after the death of a 40-year-old mother on Monday afternoon.
“Your heart bleeds and goes out to those involved. It’s something you hope never happens,” said Guy Tetrault, director of education with the Sun West School Division.
Just before 4 p.m., Biggar RCMP received a call about a motor vehicle collision involving a school bus and a passenger truck hauling a cattle trailer. It happened approximately 24 kilometres north of the central Saskatchewan town.
The school bus was equipped to carry 36 passengers, but at the time only three were onboard. While police have confirmed two of the young children were related to the deceased, Monica Domes, friends and relatives tell Global News they are her twin boys.
All three children were released from hospital Monday night with cuts and scratches.
Domes’ Ford F-250 had been parked off to the side of the highway facing north off the northbound lane. Due to mechanical issues, she and the adult male driver were waiting for help.
She then left the truck and stood outside the vehicle. The school bus was traveling northbound before the collision occurred.
The pickup driver was not injured. Domes suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at hospital in Biggar. Meanwhile, the bus driver was taken to hospital in Saskatoon with unknown injuries.
“Our system and Saskatoon Catholic had grief teams and counseling teams at the schools, ready to provide counseling services to students, parents, bus drivers – anyone who needed it,” said Tetrault.
The bus driver has since come under fire throughout the community. Many area residents have told Global News he was the same driver at the wheel during another Sun West School Division bus incident little more than two weeks ago when a bus rolled on a gravel road.
No one was injured in that case and it also remains under investigation.
“We’re dealing with school-aged children. We have a bus that was involved. There’s parents and that’s a challenge as well. Everybody’s concerned about everyone’s well-being,” said Sgt. Colin Sawrenko with Biggar RCMP.
Sun West says its fleet of over 200 school buses receives regular maintenance and that the safety of its students is of the utmost importance.
According to SGI, in 2012 there were 70 collisions involving school buses with 22 injuries and no fatalities recorded. This number does not include collisions where property damage was less than $5,000.
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