On June 4, 2018, a tour bus crash in Canada killed multiple people and injured at least two dozen others. The bus, which was carrying tourists from China, crashed into a rock formation along Highway 401, just outside Prescott, Ontario. Also on the bus were two Americans — the bus driver and one of the tour guides. The tourists were all Chinese citizens as was a second tour guide. The bus crash is a reminder of some of the risks involved when tour buses are involved in crashes.
Tour Bus Crash Lawyers with Experience
The law firm of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman has represented victims in more than 90 bus crash cases since 1988. Our experience handling bus crash cases prompted the Chicago Sun-Times to call Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman “the nation’s leading school bus damage suit litigator.”
In 2017, our firm reached a $10 million bus crash settlement with a Southern California school district on behalf of five young students who were injured in an accident that occurred when the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, drove off the road at an unreasonable rate of speed and collided with fixed objects.
In another case, our firm represented 27 bus passengers harmed in a single accident and obtained justice on their behalf.
Our firm has experience litigating cases against American Stage Lines, Sky Express, Inc., Greyhound, Ford Motor Company, Bluebird, San Diego Metropolitan Transit, American Tour, and Leasing Co., Mexico Transportation Turista Peninsular, Windsor Inc., and Travellers Coach Company Limited, among many others.
If you or a loved one was harmed in the Ontario, Canada tour bus crash, it is in your best interest to speak with a law firm that specializes in tour bus crash litigation. Contact us or call (855) 948-5098 today for a free case evaluation.
Union Tour Express Bus was Headed from Ottawa to Toronto when Crash Occurred
On Monday, June 4, 2018, a tour bus operated by Union Tour Express, a company from Massachusetts, was traveling from Ottawa to Toronto, Canada, along Highway 401. At around 2:45 p.m., the Union Tour Express bus crashed into a rock formation, causing fatal injuries to three of the Chinese tourists and critical injuries to four other passengers. In total, more than two dozen injuries were reported in the Canada tour bus crash.
Some passengers were taken to area hospitals by helicopter while others were taken by school bus. Kingston General Hospital received four patients, Brockville Hospital received two, Ottawa Hospital received five and a small hospital in Kemptville received eight injured victims. In the days after the accident, two bus passengers passed away in the hospital and three people were listed in critical condition.
All tourists on board were Chinese citizens on a tour organized by Chengxin Travel Agency, a company from Beijing. The survivors are from the cities of:
- Suzhou
- Nantong
- Shanghai
- Hefei
- Ningbo
The bus driver, who is from the United States, was hospitalized following the crash but did not suffer serious injuries. A spokesperson for the bus company said he had a year of experience and had been driving with the company for a month.
The bus was reportedly on a 10-day tour that started on May 29 in Washington, D.C. According to reports, this is the first serious crash the company has been involved in since it began operating tours seven years ago.
What Caused the Canada Tour Bus Crash on Highway 401?
An investigation into the crash will likely take months to complete. According to law enforcement officials, the tour bus was the only vehicle involved in the accident, and prevailing weather conditions at the time were clear.
Investigators will talk to witnesses and examine possible mechanical issues with the bus. According to CTV News, the bus driver told investigators that the steering wheel became locked and the tires seized immediately before the crash.
Prescott’s mayor, Brett Todd, said there have been too many accidents along that stretch of Highway 401.
“This is the third significant accident on that stretch of the 401 in a month, and it follows of course on the heels of other significant accidents in January, in late November, last summer,” Todd said.
He went on to note that not only is driving the highway risky for motorists, but first responders put themselves at risk every time they go to a call along that stretch of highway. That area of Highway 401 is two lanes, which Todd says needs to be expanded to three lanes.
Included in previous crashes in the area were two tractor-trailer accidents in May, one of which was fatal and the other of which caused serious injuries. Those two crashes happened within a day of each other.
Witness Describes Scene of Canada Tour Bus Crash as Surreal
A truck driver who came upon the scene said it looked surreal and chaotic, with passengers treating bloody noses. He said there was heavy damage to the front of the bus.
Photographs from the scene show damage to the right side of the bus, including missing windows and baggage doors.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said it was aware of the accident and concerned about injuries to passengers.
Bus Accident Lawyers
When tour buses leave the roadway, the results can be fatal. The bus accident lawyers at Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman have extensive experience investigating and litigating tour bus crashes that share striking similarities to the Ontario accident. We have been, and continue to be, passionate advocates in our fight for bus safety and for our clients to ensure that they receive justice for their injuries.
If you or someone you know has been harmed in this bus crash or another bus crash, call (855) 948-5098 today for a free case evaluation.
Canada Tour Bus Crash Updates
Most Victims from Ontario Tour Bus Accident Have Been Released from Hospitals | June 11, 2018
Nearly all the survivors from last week’s tour bus crash near Prescott, Ontario have been released from area hospitals. Some are still in Canada awaiting flights back to China.
Laura Tobin, a volunteer for the Red Cross personal disaster assistance responders group, recalled to the media that in the aftermath of the accident, the survivors were shocked and scared finding themselves in an unfamiliar country, struggling to communicate and get their questions answered. Many did not know what was happening with the others who were on the bus, as the victims were taken to several different hospitals for treatment.
“You could hear, you could sense in them just this anxiousness, this pain,” Tobin said.
Three Deceased Victims Identified | June 7, 2018
Canadian authorities have identified the three deceased victims from this week’s fatal tour bus crash outside of Prescott, Ontario. Provincial police identified 57-year-old Xueying Ye of Shanghai, 54-year-old Changlin Xu of Jiansu, and 60-year-old Weiping Lu as the victims who passed away in area hospitals following the accident. Ye and Xu were part of a tourist group from China that was traveling through Canada.
Officials from the Chinese embassy in Canada have stated that “the travel agency involved should shoulder its responsibility and properly take care of such matters as medical treatment and compensation for the Chinese tourists,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference the day after the Highway 401 crash.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.