No criminal charges to be laid in fatal July 2020 rollover on Columbia Icefield: RCMP
No criminal charges will be laid in connection to the rollover of an icefield tour bus in the Rocky Mountains which killed three passengers and injured 14 others.
RCMP on Friday announced they and crown prosecutors found "no criminal charges are warranted" in the July 2020 crash on Alberta's Athabasca Glacier.
"They conducted quite a very thorough investigation of that scene, taking witness statements and measurements of the scene itself. Ultimately, the Ice Explorer itself was seized and examined. It was a very involved multifaceted investigation," media officer Cpl. Troy Savinkoff explained in an interview.
Mounties concluded their investigation earlier in 2022 and have been reviewing evidence since then.
"Once all that evidence was obtained, the RCMP investigators coordinated with the Alberta crown prosecutors office and went through all the evidence presented with the ultimate question: Is there a criminal offence that has occurred here that we can prosecute?
"Ultimately, the decision was made that there wasn't enough evidence in order to lay criminal charges."
RCMP attend the scene of a sightseeing bus rollover at the Columbia Icefields near Jasper, Alta., Sunday, July 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
OH&S CHARGES
Police investigated separately from Occupational Health and Safety, although the two agencies shared evidence, Savinkoff said.
In May, the Alberta government announced eight charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act against tour company Brewster Inc. Three of the charges are failing to ensure the health and safety of passengers by not controlling the hazard of the "slope of the lateral moraine." Lateral moraines are piles of rock and debris which form on the sides of glaciers.
Other charges were related to equipment maintenance and failing to mandate seat belt rules amongst employees.
Savinkoff could not comment on what would come of the regulatory charges.
The company is expected to enter a plea for them on Dec. 22 in Jasper provincial court.
- Brewster Inc. faces 8 provincial charges after fatal Columbia Icefield rollover
- Prosecutors have report on fatal Icefield bus rollover after RCMP complete investigation
PANDEMIC, COMPLEXITY BEHIND DELAY
Savinkoff acknowledged the investigation that took two years was somewhat unusually long.
The pandemic was partially to blame, Savinkoff told CTV News Edmonton, but so was the case's complexity.
"You want to make sure you do it correct [sic] because it's a very important investigation."
Several lawsuits have also been launched in connection to the incident.
- Class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of passengers in fatal Icefield bus crash
- Lawsuit by survivors of fatal Alta. icefield rollover totals $17M
- Lawsuits linked to deadly Columbia Icefield crash name Parks Canada among defendants
Mounties say they shared all of their investigative material with the labour ministry, as required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Columbia Icefield tours resumed in 2021 with new safety features and protocols.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Adam Lachacz and CTV News Calgary's Michael Franklin
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.