Abbotsford crash: Serious collision involving small bus sends multiple people to hospital
More than a dozen people had to be treated by paramedics after a serious multi-vehicle crash involving a small bus carrying farm workers in Abbotsford Tuesday morning.
BC Emergency Health Services said an air ambulance, along with six ground ambulances, responded to the crash in the 32000 block of MacLure Road.
Sixteen patients were treated and five sent to hospital, including three who were in critical condition.
“It was scary. It was scary and terrifying,” said Mandeep Singh, who lives nearby and went to the scene after hearing the crash.
Video from the scene shortly after the accident shows the front end of a mangled red truck, a shattered windshield and damaged front end of a shuttle bus, as well as another damaged vehicle.
Witnesses tell CTV News Vancouver they heard tires screeching and that the crash sounded like a bomb going off.
Stephen Appleton lives nearby and rushed barefoot to the scene.
“My heart almost fell out of my chest when I saw the bus, two other vehicles, a bunch of people scrambling,” he says.
Appleton, who knows first aid, says he first went to the bus.
“The driver was trapped, had both his legs pinned between the seat and the dash and the steering wheel,” Appleton explained.
He says after doing what he could for the bus driver, he moved to the truck where an unconscious driver was also trapped.
“I couldn’t free him. The only thing I could do is lean him back. I did a rapid body check,” he says.
Singh says firefighters were needed to free the trapped drivers.
“Firefighters did their job well. They cut the vehicle and took the people out of the vehicle,” Singh explained.
A spokesperson for the company that owns the shuttle bus says there were nine farm workers on board at the time of the accident. Manjit Gill says the workers were headed to a nursery.
Casandra Appleton also heard the crash and ran to the scene, carrying her baby.
“It took a while for police even to get here,” she said.
Appleton says she tried to comfort some of those involved in the accident.
“I did try and help some of the women to get them to calm down and settle down,” she said.
The road was blocked off for hours as police investigated.
Neighbours say there are far too many accidents on McClure Road and that too many drivers speed there.
Police say they are still trying to piece together what led to the accident Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.