Lawyers for a MiWay bus driver argued in court Wednesday that she attempted to apply the brakes several times before a multi-vehicle crash that claimed the life of one person and injured eight others three years ago.
Baljeet Dhaliwal has pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing death in the June 2023 crash, which resulted in the death of 50-year-old Sharron Williams.
The violent crash was captured on dashcam video from a separate vehicle. It shows the bus plowing into the back of Williams’ car as she sat stopped at a red light at the intersection of Derry Road and Rexwood Road. Her car was then pushed into several other vehicles ahead of her.
This week, defence counsel called a witness to the stand who was a passenger on the bus when it slammed into the line of cars. He said he heard the driver yell several times that the brakes were not working as the bus approached the intersection.
During cross-examination on Wednesday, the witness admitted the event was traumatizing, and his memory may not be accurate. The crown played a video from inside the bus, showing no reaction from any passengers when the driver was allegedly yelling she couldn’t stop the vehicle.
The defence also played a frame-by-frame video showing a reflection of the bus driver in a partition that divides the driver’s box and the front step. It shows Dhaliwal shifting her weight forward a few times as the vehicle approaches the stopped traffic. The defence suggested those actions show the driver trying to apply the brakes.
The crown’s evidence included a collision reconstructionist who believed the bus’s brakes should have worked as designed at the time of the crash.
A defence expert disputed that, telling the court he believed the investigation was inadequate and examination reports on the braking system were unreliable.
Criminal defence lawyer Nick Cake, who is not involved with this case, says there will be a lot to consider in the judge-only trial when determining the verdict.
“It is the most serious charge in our criminal code when it comes to criminal code offences that involve driving, and the maximum penalty is life in prison. So it is a very serious charge,” said Cake.
The court is now waiting on the transcripts of 911 calls that came in on the morning of the crash.
The trial is expected to resume on Thursday.
