Several teenagers sustained significant injuries following a school bus driver’s loss of control while attempting to overtake another vehicle in icy conditions on a rural Manitoba highway. The incident occurred on Highway 10, approximately 10 kilometers south of Mafeking, Man., around 8:30 a.m. CT, as reported by the RCMP.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene after a school bus rollover was reported. Rob Tomlinson, superintendent of the Swan Valley School Division, expressed relief that there were no fatalities, describing the bus as heavily damaged.
Initial findings from a forensic collision investigation indicate that the bus driver was traveling southbound on Highway 10 and crashed after losing control while trying to pass another bus. Four individuals, including three teenagers and one adult, sustained significant but non-life-threatening injuries and were airlifted to a hospital in Winnipeg.
Additional students received medical attention at the Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River. The bus was carrying 15 occupants, consisting of the driver and 14 students aged 16 to 18 from Sapotaweyak Cree First Nation.
Weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to ice formation on roadways, with temperatures dropping from 2°C on Monday afternoon to around -3°C on Tuesday morning. Chief Nelson Genaille of Sapotaweyak expressed concern for the students involved and emphasized the community’s shock and worry.
Support services, including counselors and a knowledge keeper, were provided to students and families by the Swan Valley School Division. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew reached out to Chief Genaille to offer assistance and expressed openness to discussions on mandating seatbelt use on school buses in the future.
The incident prompted a code orange alert at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, which was later stood down, as authorities prepared for a potential influx of patients. Shared Health acknowledged the emotional impact of the event on those affected and highlighted ongoing patient care at Swan Valley Health Centre.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives had previously proposed a bill advocating for mandatory seatbelt use on new Manitoba school buses. The Canada Safety Council reported minimal school bus crash fatalities and injuries to children over the past decade nationally, supporting the debate on enhancing safety measures for school transportation.