A tragic incident took place in Laval Quebec, Canada on Wednesday when a city bus Crashes into day care center, killing two children and injuring six others. The driver of the bus, Pierre Ny St-Amand, was arrested and charged with first degree murder, among other crimes.
Panic and chaos erupted at the day care center as the crash took place, with children crying and screaming and a mother collapsing. Parents of the children were redirected to a nearby elementary school as police and emergency services arrived at the scene.
Eyewitnesses reported that after the crash, the driver stepped out of the bus, took off his clothes, and started screaming uncontrollably. According to Hamdi Benchaabane, a neighbor who ran to the scene, the driver was “just yelling; there were no words coming out of his mouth.” He added that the driver “was in a different world.”
In a court appearance via video from a hospital room, St-Amand faced a total of nine charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and assault causing bodily harm. He is currently being detained and remains unresponsive during the hearing.
Although initial reports suggested the crash may have been a terrorist attack, a senior Canadian government official stated that it was not a threat to national security. The driver, who was from Laval and had worked for Societe de transport de Laval for 10 years, had no criminal history and a clean work record.
Police are still investigating the motive behind the crash, with one theory being that it was an intentional act. However, this has yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, six children are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and the families of the two deceased children are grieving their loss.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of Parliament observed a moment of silence in honor of the victims, while the community of Laval comes to terms with this horrific tragedy