Family of deceased Westboro bus crash victim speaks out following driver verdict

By Dani-Elle Dubé

Upon hearing OC Transpo bus driver Aissatou Diallo was found not guilty on all counts in her role in the 2019 Westboro bus crash that killed three people, absolute devastation was all Karen Benvie, daughter of deceased bus crash victim Judy Booth, could feel.

In a statement to CityNews, Benvie says she and her family are learning how to navigate life without Booth and are still trying to pick up the pieces.

“That person walked away from this, [Aissatou Diallo’s] life is still intact,” Benvie said. “She gets to go home to her family. She gets to have a normal life and a job. But not us.”

Diallo’s verdict was delivered in an Ottawa courtroom on Elgin Street Wednesday, following months of court hearings and awaiting a verdict.

It’s a verdict that doesn't hold anyone accountable, Benvie said.

“Those that were injured need to re-learn how to navigate their daily lives,” Benvie said. “Some will need medical care for the rest of their lives. Some will never be the same. No one is being held responsible for what happened. Not the city, not OC Transpo and now not even the driver. How can someone who caused so much devastation not be held accountable?”

Benvie adds that she believes the court has failed the victims and their families.

“Even though a ‘guilty’ verdict would not have healed the injured or brought our loved ones back, it would have given us some sort of closure. With this all happening with COVID, she never had to have the victims in court. She never had to see our pain.”

“She’ll never know how her actions have affected so many of us,” she added. “She will, however, have to live the rest of her life knowing what she did. I hope she remembers their names and their faces and that she never forgets that she failed them.”

Solomon Friedman, Diallo’s lawyer, said he and his client were delighted by the verdict of innocent on all 38 counts, which included charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and dangerous driving causing death.

“[Diallo] was put in an awful position by circumstances that were well beyond her control. She did her very best and tragically, unfortunately, her very best was not good enough,” Friedman said.

“This case is a wake-up call,” he added. “[Bus driver training in Ottawa] needs to be adapted, it needs to be standardized, and every recommendation the auditor general made is one that should have been followed in this case, but unfortunately, only came afterward.”

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