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In July of 2020, a 1999 Foremost Terra bus rolled over in the Columbia Icefields, tumbling more than 50 metres down a steep hill. The crash claimed three lives, and injured fourteen others. A recent review into the crash says neglected brake repairs were the cause of the brake failure that caused the rollover.
The bus which was carrying 24 people at the time, and the inquiry revealed that the driver had asked the brakes to be looked at five days before the crash, but no evidence was given that the brakes had been inspected or repaired. The issue had been reportedly masked, as standard procedures state the bus is to be in sixth wheel drive, with the transmission locked engaged, before ascending or descending a hill.
The Ice Explorer involved in the crash had reportedly been in neutral, which a judge says is the cause of the busses unusually high speeds, which were estimated to be upwards of 40 km/h. For reference, the Ice Explorers have a top powered speed of 14 km/h.
The report also showed the bus driver had attempted to use emergency brakes, but was unsuccessful, and that it was unable to determine if the driver had failed to put the bus in gear, or if it had popped out of gear.
Other factors were listed:
- lack of seatbelts, which were not required
- the slop of the hill, which exceeded 40 degrees, 4 degrees above the maximum slop grade recommended for Ice Explorers
Brewsters Inc. who own 22 of the 24 Ice Explorers, plead guilty to two charges under the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, and was fine $475,000.
The full report can be found here.
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