Memorial Park unveiled at Fallowfield Station for bus-train crash victims
Friends and family of the six people killed when an OC Transpo bus crashed into a moving Via Rail passenger train in Sept. 2013 were invited to the unveiling of a memorial park in honour of their loved ones at Fallowfield Station this morning.
An inscribed black granite boulder sits at the centre of park, surrounded by six unique sections tailored to each of the victims. Plaques with their names and a brief description of their lives are in place, and benches will be installed at each site.
"This memorial honours the individuals whose lives were forever changed on September 18, 2013 and is dedicated to the timeless memory of the six individuals who lost their lives. One event ... many realities," the bilingual inscription on the boulder reads.
It's located in a corner of the Fallowfield Park and Ride, near where the double-decker bus hit the train.
Bus driver Dave Woodard and passengers Kyle Nash, Michael Bleakney, Connor Boyd, Karen Krzyzewski and Rob More were killed in the crash.
The families of all five passengers who died have filed lawsuits against the city and the bus driver's estate. Via Rail has also filed a lawsuit against the city and Woodard's estate.
In a statement of defence filed in some of the lawsuits, the city claims Via Rail's negligence was to blame and that neither the city nor Woodard were responsible. City lawyers also filed a third-party claim against Via Rail Canada as part of their defence.
The Transportation Safety Board has not released its final report on the crash but a preliminary version named the speed of the bus and distracted driving as possible factors.
