'Catastrophic' brake failure caused 2020 Icefields tour bus accident: report

It was an afternoon in July of 2020 when an ice explorer carrying tourists across the ice field careened down an embankment. Three were killed, more than 14 others severely injured. Now a report from Judge Vaughn Myers details a series of neglected inspections and mechanical failures. He found the lead cause of the tragedy was a catastrophic brake failure. The vehicle was in neutral, not in gear as it should have been during the crash. That means its transmission locking brakes were never engaged, allowing it to speed out of control. An inspection after the crash revealed the standard brakes were also faulty. The judge also found that a driver's complaint about braking problems on the bus reported just five days before the crash went ignored by the tour bus operator. The inquiry calls on the company, Brewster, to make a series of changes to its inspections and training protocols. In a statement, company officials promise they'll continue to improve the safety of their operations, while offering their condolences to the victims and everyone affected by the icefield tragedy. Wallace Snowden, CBC News, Edmonton.