Ten of the 25 Dauphin area residents involved in the horrific crash at the intersection of Hwy. 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway remain in hospital, while the medical examiner’s office continues working to identify the remains of the 15 killed in the accident.
At a press conference, Friday, provincial health officials said the injured - six women and four men are being treated at hospitals in Winnipeg and Brandon for serious injuries. Six are in a critical care unit at the Health Sciences Centre, while the other four are being treated for serious injuries in a surgical care unit
“A number have received operations and more operations are planned, but these injuries are quite significant,” Dr. Shawn Young, chief operating officer of Health Sciences Centre, said.
While the families of those deceased have been notified by police, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner, Dr. John K. Younes, said fingerprints, dental records, surgical history and, if necessary, DNA will be used to confirm the identities.
“The worst possible outcome for us is to mistakenly identify someone and give wrong information to families, so we have to undertake a scientific means of identification of each of the deceased,” he said, adding the process should be complete later this week.
The accident occurred shortly before noon, June 15.
RCMP initially said the bus carrying 19 women and six men ranging in age from 58 to 88 years old was travelling south on Hwy. 5 en route to the Sandhills Casino in Carberry and was crossing the eastbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway when it was hit by a semi-trailer.
In an update Friday afternoon, police said they have obtained footage of the crash from a camera installed in the semi which shows the bus entering the lanes on Hwy. 1 without having the right of way.
“We are not assigning culpability or laying any blame at this time. We’re merely stating the facts as we know them,” Supt. Rob Lasson of the major crimes division said, adding witness accounts align with what RCMP saw in the video.
Lasson said the semi driver has been released from hospital and police have been able to interview him as they further their investigation. They have not yet spoken with the driver of the bus as he is still being treated in hospital.
“Our primary concern at this time is his medical care and recovery,” Lasson said.
He added police are doing what they can to support families of the victims through support centres in Dauphin and Winnipeg
“Each family will be presented with a direct RCMP contact that they can reach out to for support. We know this is of utmost importance,” Lasson said. “It is imperative that we all respect what the families are going through at this time. This is not easy.”
