Coroner’s inquest into 2019 Ottawa bus crash deaths underway

The daughter of a woman who died in a 2019 Ottawa bus crash that killed three people told a coroner’s inquest Wednesday that the loss has left her family with unanswered questions.

Karen Benvie said her 57-year-old mother Judy Booth was taken too soon, leaving her loved ones in unbearable grief.

“Her absence is felt every day in the silence where her laughter used to be and in the spaces where her presence once brought warmth and light,” she said at the start of the inquest.

The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 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. Nearly two dozen others were injured in the crash as the shelter’s awning carved into the upper level of the bus and crushed a number of seats.

The bus driver was acquitted of all criminal charges in the case in 2021.

Benvie said her family is participating in the inquest to understand the circumstances of her mother’s death and to honour her memory.

“We owe it to her to ensure that her story is heard, her life remembered and her legacy of kindness love and dedication is never forgotten,” she said.

Dr. Louise McNaughton-Filion, a regional supervising coroner, said the inquest will hear from multiple witnesses and the jury can make recommendations at the end. The inquest is expected to last 21 days.

Coroner’s inquest juries do not assign blame or make findings of legal responsibility in a case.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2025.

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press