RCMP say several people are injured after a coach bus rolled over on Highway 1 in southeast Saskatchewan. An RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

By Canadian Press

RCMP say several injured after coach bus rolls over in Saskatchewan

Nov 8, 2023 | 12:23 PM

Firefighters had to break windows to free people trapped in a coach bus that rolled Wednesday morning in southeast Saskatchewan.

Dwayne Stone, the fire chief for the Town of Grenfell, said they were called out to the crash on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Wolseley just after 7 a.m. Roads were extremely slippery after the area was doused by rain then covered in snow.

Stone said firefighters found the bus on its side.

“It looks like they lost control, went into the ditch sideways and then the wheels caught the ground and it rolled,” he said.

The double-decker bus was set up so passengers could sleep on the top level, Stone said. Firefighters used an emergency hatch in the roof and took out windows in order to get to the 13 people stuck inside.

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“When it rolled, all the debris trapped people in,” he said. “Basically we just had to go in, gently remove items, so we can free people.”

Stone said the people were taken to a nearby hospital, but he didn’t believe any of their injuries were life-threatening. RCMP did not provide further information on their conditions.

Stone said the bus had a Tennessee licence plate and was operated by a tour company with headquarters in Florida. Firefighters also had to retrieve luggage from the tipped bus to get the passengers’ passports.

When the bus tipped, Stone said he figures many passengers had been sleeping, because they “just had their socks on and no coats,” he said. “We had to give them blankets to keep warm.”

Mounties closed the Trans-Canada Highway from Wolseley, 100 kilometres east of Regina, to the Manitoba boundary due to icy road conditions.

Stone said firefighters also responded to two jackknifed semi-trailers on the highway the same morning and weather conditions had not improved significantly. He advised people in the area to avoid driving if possible.

“Until it warms up again, it’s going to be very icy.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2023.

— By Kelly Geraldine Malone in Saskatoon and Jeremy Simes in Regina