Coroner’s jury begins considering recommendations in Ottawa bus crash inquest

A coroner’s inquest into a fatal Ottawa bus crash in 2019 is coming to a close as the jury begins considering recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.

The inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Judy Booth, Bruce Thomlinson and Anthonia Van Beek.

All three died after a double-decker bus operated by OC Transpo hopped a curb and struck a shelter at the Westboro transit station on Jan. 11, 2019.

The jury heard evidence over the last three weeks from many witnesses, including transit safety experts and officials from Transport Canada, the Ontario transportation ministry and the City of Ottawa.

Various parties in the inquest made their final submissions on Friday, and the jury received their deliberation instructions from the presiding officer this morning.

Coroner’s inquest juries do not assign blame or make findings of legal responsibility in a case, but they are expected to determine how the deaths occurred and may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2025.