Tourist dies in B.C. tour bus accident

A tourist is dead after a charter bus hit several pedestrians and a parked vehicle in Vancouver’s bustling downtown, police say.

Sgt. Jason Robillard with Vancouver Police said the 49-year-old man was rushed to hospital Sunday morning, and later died.

At least two other people were taken to hospital, including an elderly man whose injuries were described as serious, and a 15year-old girl who suffered minor injuries.

All three had to be “extracted” from the crash by fire crews, Robillard said.

Video from the scene showed firefighters working to free people from under the large bus.

A running shoe could be seen lodged beneath the bus’s front wheel early Sunday afternoon and the liftgate on the back of the parked vehicle had smashed through the driver’s side window of the bus.

The crash happened on a waterfront street populated by hotels, tourist attractions and the city’s convention centre, an area heavy with pedestrian traffic, particularly during the summer.

The dead man, the injured elderly man and the injured teen were all tourists, Robillard said.

Police are trying to determine how the accident happened. Robillard said the pedestrians were around the parked vehicle when it was struck by the bus, which was travelling at a low speed.

“Whether they were loading or unloading, I do know that they were parked there, curbside, and there was pedestrians around (the vehicle),” he said.

Mushfiqur Rahman was out on the busy street on Sunday afternoon, taking a break from work when he heard a loud cracking sound.

“When I heard the crash I just went in to see and found the two people under the (bus) tire,” he said. “One was unconscious and the other was actually groaning in pain. And there was no way that we could help.”

The bus driver appeared to be “in emotional pain,” Rahman said.

The Vancouver Trolley Company issued a statement from general manager Stuart Coventry on Sunday, confirming the bus was owned by the company.

“We are shocked and saddened and our focus right now is on the people who were injured and the families of those injured and deceased,” Coventry said.

He said it’s too soon to speculate on “what has happened” and the company will co-operate fully with the police investigation.

Investigators will be looking at a variety of information in the case, including witness statements, video and a mechanical inspection, Robillard said.

“The investigation will be quite complex. Our collision investigation unit will look at everything,” he said.

Criminal charges may be considered, but fault won’t be determined until the end of the investigation, he added.

“It does take some time for the facts to come out and for the investigation to be concluded.”

The crash is the seventh traffic death tallied in Vancouver so far this year.