Driver of tour bus in fatal crash a no-show for inquiry

The driver of a tour bus that rolled down an embankment after passengers got off to take pictures, killing an Ontario woman, won't testify at the inquiry into her death.

Government lawyer Christine Nugent told provincial court Judge Marian De Souza that driver Jian Song, who was not on the bus when it started moving, is out of the country.

She said members of the Calgary Police Service tried to locate Song for the hearing, but without success.

“CPS have advised me they have attempted to serve him with a summons (to attend court), and his wife advised he is in China and not scheduled to return until 2021,” Nugent said.

But the inquiry lawyer was able to call evidence before De Souza about the Sept. 21, 2016, death of Jing Zhang, 53, of Mississauga, at Castle Mountain, west of Banff.

RCMP Const. Jonathan Cook testified he arrived at a chaotic scene after being dispatched that morning to a call involving a vehicle.

“( We had) limited information that a bus had rolled over some people and potentially had gone down a hill,” he told Nugent.

“The scene was a little bit chaotic.”

He said a group of people were around the bus “that had gone down the hill, and apparently two persons at the bottom (were struck) and one was apparently deceased already.”

Cook said the bus had travelled about 20 metres down the embankment into the Bow River.

A subsequent investigation determined that the vehicle had been left in gear, but the parking brake engaged.

“The gear shift observed by both Cpl. (Chris) Blandford and the tow operator, and myself, was that it was in drive,” Cook said.

Cook said when the bus was towed out, the brake was found to be halfway down, which impeded pulling it from the scene.

“In order to remove the vehicle they had to disengage it ... the vehicle was getting dragged up the hill.”

Cook told Nugent he also inspected the ignition when he and Blandford looked at the bus while it was still partially submerged in the river.

“The keys were in the ignition and it was turned to the on position,” he said.

A full mechanical inspection was later conducted on the bus, which was included in a report filed with the court.

“(The mechanic) notes that had the driver properly placed the gear in park, the bus would have been held stationary.”

Song was ultimately charged with careless driving under the Traffic Safety Act.

The hearing can't find blame for Zhang's death, but De Souza can make recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The hearing is expected to wrap up Wednesday.