Bus driver charged with murder for ‘deliberately’ crashing bus into Quebec daycare, killing two children

According to police, two children were killed and six others injured after a city bus drove into a daycare center in Laval, Quebec.

The bus driver, identified as 51-year-old Pierre Ny St-Amand, drove into the daycare center on Wednesday morning in what witnesses have described as a premeditated act.

He appeared in court from the hospital and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and four counts of assault with a gun.

He had reportedly worked for the Société de transport de Laval (STL) for around 10 years, had no criminal record and no known connection to the daycare.

“From what I saw, it wasn’t an accident,” local resident Hamdi Ben Chaabane told CBC News, adding that the bus appeared to be traveling at around 30 or 40 km/h (18-25 mph) when it left hit the building.

He then described how the driver got off the bus, stripped off all his clothes and started screaming incoherently, forcing Mr. Ben Chaabane and several other parents to overpower him before attempting to rescue children trapped under the bus .

Mr Ben Chaabane said the driver felt like he was “in another world”.

“He opened the door. He took off all his clothes. He was completely naked,” Mr Ben Chaabane said. “We don’t know why he did it. We fell for him. We tried to tame him.”

Mr Ben Chaabane said the driver “didn’t stop screaming” and “didn’t say a word”.

“It was a nightmare,” he said.

Stéphane Boyer, the city’s mayor, said the bus driver has been with the bus service for a decade and has not recorded any past incidents.

City buses do not usually go near the daycare, which is on a quiet side street off the main bus routes.

Ms Boyer said the idea the crash was intentional would need to be backed up by an investigation.

The group of passers-by and parents tried to pull children out from under the bus, but some were buried too deep for them to reach. The fire brigade finally arrived on site and took over the rescue measures.

“It is terrible what happened in Laval this morning,” Prime Minister François Legault told reporters in the National Assembly. “All my thoughts are with the children, with the parents and with the staff.”

Sainte Justine Hospital confirmed to CBC that some of the injured children had been transported there and were being treated in the emergency room for serious injuries.

The bus driver was also taken to the hospital for concerns about his mental health.

He appeared in court via video link from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

He was reportedly due to be charged over the phone but refused to speak, meaning a police officer named Simon Lesage had to dial in with his cellphone camera so the suspect could nod and shake his head at questions.

Mr Lesage told the court that St-Amand was physically fine and that he would undergo a mental examination on the orders of a hospital doctor.

Then the line went dead and Mr Lesage explained: “I’m sorry for the delay but he hit me. He hit me because he’s angry. I’m trying to get my mood back.”

Prosecutors said the doctor requested a mental health exam because they feared the suspect could pose a threat to medical staff.

Mr St-Amand lives near the day care center in Laval with his partner and children and has been described by neighbors as an enthusiastic father and a friendly presence in the neighbourhood. He came to Quebec from Cambodia when he was 11 years old.

He has not yet filed a plea in the crash case and is scheduled to stand trial again next Friday (February 17).