Car owners who found their vehicles in front of a runaway bus last November are still fighting to get their damage repaired and there is no end in sight.
The Nov. 16 accident left a string of damaged vehicles scattered around the Sturgeon Plaza parking lot on Hebert Road near St. Albert trail.
A school bus was travelling across St. Albert Trail on Gervais Road through to Hebert Road when a collision happened in the middle of the intersection.
A black minivan collided with the bus, but the bus crossed the median, passed briefly into incoming traffic before entering Sturgeon Plaza and hitting nearly a dozen parked cars.
The minivan driver was charged with making an unsafe left turn following the accident and is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 31.
St. Albert RCMP Cpl. Laurel Kading said the detachment is still investigating why the bus kept going after the accident, but because of the impending trial can’t comment.
Marc Racine, owner of the Clear Copy store, had his car parked out front and saw the accident play out.
“I heard it and I could tell there was something wrong. I looked out and there was a blue pick-up truck that was up in the air and then it came crashing down.”
Racine has basic insurance, but said he wasn’t worried because he was not at fault.
“My mood that night wasn’t sombre because there was no way it was my fault. I figured in a week or two an insurance adjustor would call me and I would just get my vehicle fixed.”
Conrad Vivier, owner of Prevail Skate & Snowboard Shop also wasn’t concerned about his vehicle’s damage.
“My vehicle was parked. It is obviously not my fault in anyway. Who cares if I have collision? It is the person who hit me who needs collision.”
Vivier has been without his vehicle, which remains in an impound lot, ever since and has gotten by with borrowed and rented vehicles and his bike.
Racine said his understanding is that there is a dispute ongoing between the minivan driver and the school bus’ insurance company about who is most at fault.
Aaron Perdue, Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Insurance Company, which represents the minivan driver, said his company has to understand who is at fault before they settle.
“We are trying to do the right thing, but we want to make sure all our t’s are crossed and our i’s are dotted,” he said. “We want to make sure we know exactly what happened and if we are found responsible we will pay.”
A spokesperson for St Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, representing the bus driver, declined to comment on the case, citing privacy reasons and a policy not to comment on claims or policyholders.
Racine said he has been told St. Paul offered to jointly settle the claims with Millennium now and determine later exactly where fault lies, but Millennium declined that offer.
Perdue said that hasn’t happened.
“That is not true. As a matter of fact that offer has not been made.”
Vivier said he doesn’t understand the wrangling and is feeling frustrated. “The bus hit it, the bus should take care of it and they can do all the finger-pointing afterwards.”
Racine said when purchasing insurance he was never warned that, even with his basic coverage, a claim where he was clearly not at fault could drag on like this.
“Everyone I talked to is surprised and I think, because of that, there is a real lack of transparency.”
