Driver Charged After Thunder Bay Transit Bus-Pedestrian Collision

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — A Thunder Bay Police Service Traffic Unit investigation has led to a criminal charge following a 2025 collision involving a Thunder Bay Transit bus and a pedestrian on the city’s south side.

Police say officers were called on Sept. 11, 2025, to the area of George Street and May Street South after a collision involving a transit bus and a pedestrian. The pedestrian was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police have not provided an updated condition for the pedestrian.

Traffic Unit Investigation Leads to Charge

The Thunder Bay Police Service Traffic Unit and Forensic Identification Unit were assigned to the investigation.

Police say that on June 22, 2026, the driver attended Thunder Bay Police Service headquarters and turned themselves in.

A 50-year-old Thunder Bay resident, who has not been named, has been charged with dangerous operation causing bodily harm.

Police say the accused has been released on an undertaking with a future court date. The charge has not yet been read in court.

Criminal Code Context

Dangerous operation causing bodily harm is set out under section 320.13(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada. The offence applies when a person operates a conveyance in a manner that is dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances, and causes bodily harm to another person as a result.

A “conveyance” under impaired and dangerous operation provisions can include a motor vehicle. In a case involving bodily harm, section 320.2 of the Criminal Code provides that the offence may be prosecuted either by indictment or by summary conviction. If prosecuted by indictment, the maximum penalty is 14 years in prison. If prosecuted summarily, the maximum penalty is a $5,000 fine, imprisonment for up to two years less a day, or both.

Minimum penalties can also apply, including a $1,000 fine for a first offence, 30 days in jail for a second offence and 120 days for subsequent offences.

Courts may also consider driving prohibitions upon conviction. For dangerous operation offences where the maximum penalty is more than five years but less than life, the Criminal Code allows a prohibition order of up to 10 years, plus any time spent in custody.

Presumption of Innocence

None of the allegations has been proven in court. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Local Impact

The collision occurred in a busy south-side area used by pedestrians, transit riders and motorists. Incidents involving public transit and pedestrians can raise broader community concerns about road safety, visibility, traffic flow and pedestrian protection on major urban corridors.

The case is now before the courts, and further details are expected to emerge through the judicial process.