Witness describes response to Mackenzie bus crash

“Everything went into, like, ultra slow motion,” Rogers said. “And I started slowing down because I could just feel, and I could tell, that something was about to happen.”

Rogers said the bus crossed both the centre and shoulder lines before going into a ditch. Then it turned sideways, crossed the highway, and went into a deeper ditch, hitting a tree.

Once he stopped, Rogers told his family to call for help and ran to the bus.

“The first thing I noticed, coming to the front of the bus from the top of the hill, was that there was one person who had been ejected from the vehicle,” he said.

Rogers used his training as a former firefighter and first responder. He checked the person outside the bus and saw they were not breathing or moving their chest.

He moved the person to help clear their airway. Rogers said the patient started breathing after that.

Another injured person helped keep the patient still while Rogers went on toward the bus. Inside, he found passengers all over the vehicle.

“By this time, I could tell this was going to be a triage situation with several patients,” Rogers said.iced a strong exhaust smell and realized the bus was still running. Rogers put it in park and shut it off.

When the first ambulance arrived, Rogers went back up the hill and gave the paramedic information about the patients. Later, he helped an ambulance attendant after explaining his training.

Rogers said firefighters used ropes to get to the bus and help people out of the ditch. Prince George Mayor Garth Frizzell and Mackenzie Mayor Pete Kyllo issued a joint statement on Nov. 6. They commended the first responders and health-care workers involved in the response.

Frizzell said their quick decisions and actions made a difference. He also offered support to those hurt and everyone affected by the crash.

The mayors said this incident showed the need for better cellular service and communication across Northern B.C. Their statement said only 62 percent of the province’s roughly 15,000 kilometres of main and secondary highways had cellular coverage as of January 2026.

They also asked for a helipad to be added to the new acute-care tower at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia.

“When lives depend on minutes, transportation shouldn’t take hours,” Kyllo said.

The statement said the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George put forward a 2024 resolution through the Union of BC Municipalities. It called for more cellular infrastructure along Highway 16 East and other provincial highways with insufficient service.

BC Highway Patrol said several air and ground ambulances took injured people for treatment. The crash led to a full closure of Highway 39.

Police had not found the cause when they released their statement.

Investigators are asking anyone who saw the bus before the crash or has dash-camera footage to come forward. Witnesses can call BC Highway Patrol in Prince George.

by Dave Branco

Witness describes response to Mackenzie bus crash

What's Trending