Clearwater, B.C. — August 28, 2019 — Bill Anderson, a Greyhound bus driver in B.C. will not be charged for damages after colliding with a moose back in 2011. After a ruling last week, it was determined that neither the driver nor Greyhound was at fault.
On June 22nd, 2011 the bus had been heading south between Jasper and Kamloops before the moose stepped onto the road about 20 feet in front of the bus, according to witness testimonials. Anderson swerved to avoid the animal — which bolted directly into the path of the bus.
According to a study in the Journal of American College of Surgeons, hitting a moose is said to be 13 times more dangerous than hitting a deer. Because of their skinny legs and large torsos, they are more likely to land on the hood and windshield of a car with an average of more than 1,300 pounds, making them exceedingly deadly in the event of a crash.
In the case of the Greyhound bus, its steering and brake systems failed upon moose contact. The bus crossed the highway shoulder, traveled down an embankment and ended up in a swamp on the east side of the road. Kevin Vandenborre, a pickup driver who was close to the bus, turned around when he saw the accident to help people out of the vehicle.
Two passengers aboard the bus at the time of the collision claimed that Anderson was at fault due to reckless driving the while Greyhound was vicariously liable. It was found that Anderson was traveling above the limit, though according to Vandenborre and a forensic expert who showed up after the accident, Anderson would not have been able to avoid the moose even if he had been traveling at the posted speed limit.
Justice Elaine Adair concurred after last week’s hearing when she dismissed the negligence claim from the two passengers.
“The moose was not visible until it was too late for Mr. Anderson either to take evasive action or to avoid the collision,” she said. “I find further that, even if Mr. Anderson had been traveling at the posted speed limit, he would not have had sufficient time to avoid the collision with the moose.”
