On Wednesday, a city bus driven by Pierre Ny St-Amand crashed into a day care center in Laval, Quebec, resulting in the death of two young children and injuring six others. Eyewitnesses reported that after the crash, the driver exited the bus naked and began screaming incoherently before being tackled to the ground.
Mayor Stephane Boyer stated that there is a theory that the crash was intentional, but this remains to be confirmed by the investigation. The driver, who worked for Societe de transport de Laval for 10 years, had a clean criminal and work record, according to officials.
Although the ages of the victims have not been revealed, the day care is reported to serve about 80 children under the age of 5. St-Amand has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and other charges, including reckless driving.
The motive for the crash is still unknown, with police spokesperson Erika Landry stating that it is unclear at this time. However, one eyewitness, Hamdi Benchaabane, reported that the driver appeared to be “in a different world” and was just yelling without any coherent words.
Another eyewitness, Mario Sirois, stated that the driver went directly into the day care center without any skid marks leading up to it. The aftermath of the crash was described as harrowing, with some police officers reportedly crying from the tragedy.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that his office is monitoring the situation, and a senior Canadian government official has confirmed that the crash was not related to terrorism.