Three people have died and at least 23 have been injured after a double-decker OC Transpo bus crashed into the Westboro transit station in Ottawa, leaving behind a “chaotic” scene.
The incident happened around 3:50 p.m. Friday afternoon during rush hour traffic. The top deck of the bus sustained the most damage, as photos show it severely caved in.
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Several people were trapped in the upper deck for “a period of time,” according to Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau, and the bus’ upper level received the most damage. Most of the serious injuries happened in the upper right side of the bus, which appeared to have crashed into the awning of the station.
“As you can imagine, this is a very chaotic scene,” Bordeleau said.
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Two killed were on the bus and one on the platform. Twenty-five people were taken to hospital from the scene, 14 in critical condition and 11 in serious condition, according to Ottawa paramedics.
The female bus driver was detained and taken to police headquarters, Bordeleau said. “Something” at the scene required officers to arrest the driver.
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There is no word of how many people were on the platform at the time of the crash. There could have been up to 90 passengers on the bus.
Bordeleau, along with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Jeff Leiper, the Ottawa city councillor who represents the area of the crash, have commended the first responders who arrived at the scene.
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Bordeleau said that six police collision investigators are probing the cause of the crash and are being assisted by the provincial and federal ministries of transportation.
He noted that investigators will be working through the night and into Saturday morning to document the scene. “This will be a long investigation,” he said.
-With files from Beatrice Britneff