Winnipeg bus driver dies after stabbing
Suspect nabbed while trying to cross river
WINNIPEG — A transit driver who died after he was stabbed at the last stop of his regular night shift is being described as a popular, friendly man who planned to retire next year.
Irvine Fraser, who went by his middle name, Jubal, was 58 and had been on the job in Winnipeg since 1995 with the exception of a few years, said John Callahan, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.
He said Fraser worked hard to provide for his family.
“It’s just surreal to think that you can lose your life … just driving a bus,” Callahan said.
“We’ve talked about driver security for a long time and we always worried about this — the worst-case scenario — and it’s actually happened.”
Fraser’s death Tuesday marks the first time a Winnipeg bus driver has been killed as a result of an assault, Callahan said.
Fraser was attacked as he reached the end of his route at the University of Manitoba just before 2 a.m., said police.
Chief Danny Smyth said there was only one passenger on the bus at the time. Officers quickly arrived and arrested a 22-year-old suspect trying to cross the frozen Red River near campus.
An officer who later returned to look for evidence on the river fell through the ice, but was rescued, Smyth said.
First responders found Fraser with serious stab wounds and took him to hospital, where he died.
The suspect had yet to be charged Tuesday afternoon. The university said in a statement that he was not associated with the school.
“I know that this will spark debate over transit safety here in the city,” Smyth said. “But I think before we go there, it’s important that the investigators do their job to determine the circumstances.”
Smyth said he didn’t know what provoked the attack and officers were reviewing video footage from the bus.
Besides cameras, city buses are equipped with emergency buttons that connect drivers to a 911 operator. Fraser didn’t have a chance to push the button before he was attacked, Callahan said.
Mayor Brian Bowman said the city will continue discussions with the union about how to improve bus security.
There were 60 assaults on Winnipeg transit drivers in 2015, a jump of 54 per cent from the previous year, Callahan said. The number declined to 45 assaults in 2016.