On a typical Thursday afternoon, the tranquillity of Sherbrooke Street in Montreal was broken when a westbound STM bus collided with a bus shelter at the junction with Patricia Avenue in NDG.
At the time, the shelter was occupied by a 79-year-old gentleman. Despite the dramatic nature of the incident, he sustained only minor injuries and wasn’t directly hit by the bus, according to police spokesperson Jeanne Drouin. Following the incident, the elderly man was transferred to the hospital for further assessment and treatment.
The driver of the bus, who astonishingly was the only occupant onboard at the time of the accident, was also taken to the hospital. Drouin speculated that a possible cause of the crash could be a “medical malaise” experienced by the driver. Despite the speculation, the driver remained unscathed and was alert and oriented when the police arrived at the scene.
An STM spokesperson later revealed the price tag for replacing the crumbled bus shelter, estimating a cost of around $16,000. Hence, not only did the incident lead to physical harm, but it also resulted in substantial material damage.