Bus Driver Found Not Guilty in Fatal Mississauga Multi-Vehicle Crash

A bus driver on trial for dangerous driving causing death has been found not guilty by a judge in Mississauga, Ontario. The charges related to a fatal multi-vehicle collision that occurred on June 8, 2023, near Derry and Rexwood roads. The crash involved a Miway bus colliding with several stopped vehicles, resulting in the death of 50-year-old Sharron Williams and injuries to others. Baljeet Dhaliwal, the transit operator, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Justice David E. Harris delivered the verdict, acquitting Dhaliwal of dangerous driving causing death in a judge-alone trial. The victim's son, Danny, expressed disappointment outside the court, stating, "I don’t think justice was served, but there’s nothing you can do, the system is just not set up properly." He added, "A lot of things could have been done differently, right?" The collision happened around 9:25 a.m. when police were called to the scene. Williams was killed while in the driver's seat of her Nissan Rogue. Dash camera footage showed the bus hitting two rows of cars stopped at a red light. Dhaliwal did not testify, but her defense team argued that the bus's brakes had failed. They claimed she used the hand brake to stop the vehicle. A mechanic testifying for the Crown stated the bus brakes were functional at the time of the collision, but the defense questioned the witness's reliability. The Crown's theory suggested the brakes were working, but Dhaliwal failed to apply them due to a "pattern of inattention" on the day of the crash.

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I don’t think justice was served, but there’s nothing you can do, the system is just not set up properly.