Sudbury school bus driver charged in January crash on Hwy. 69

A Sudbury school bus driver who received serious injuries in a crash last month has been charged with careless driving.

Three charges have been laid against a Sudbury school bus driver after a crash involving a commercial vehicle on Highway 69 in January.

The 50-year-old has been charged with three counts of careless driving causing bodily harm, Ontario Provincial Police said in an update Wednesday – nearly a month after the crash.

Emergency crews were called to the Richard Lake hill area around 8:30 a.m. Jan. 20.

Photos of the bus stopped in the northbound lane show severe damage to the front end of the vehicle.

The school bus driver sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash, police said.

A dozen students from the Rainbow District School Board and Conseil scolaire du Grand North were on board the bus at the time of the collision.

Seven students were transported to hospital by ambulance, two sustained serious, but not-life-threatening injuries and the other five were taken as a precaution.

The transport driver was uninjured.

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“The accused was issued a provincial summons and is scheduled to appear at an Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury on April 1,” OPP said.

Penalties for careless driving causing bodily harm convictions include fines between $2,000 and $50,000, up to two years in jail and a potential driver’s license suspension of up to five years.

Shortly after the crash, an online fundraiser was started to help the bus driver’s family.

To date, it has raised nearly $24,000.

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