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The driver, a male in his 20’s, was taken to hospital where he remains in critical condition. The transit bus driver was treated and released.

Investigators have determined that the car had been stolen a short time earlier from a location on Pembina Highway, said police spokesperson Const. Rob Carver.

The bus driver is still dealing with the aftermath from the incident, said Chaudhary.

“He’s off work right now,” said Chaudhary. “He’s got some minor physical injuries like a swollen knee and some soreness in the stomach and that kind of thing but no major bones were broken.

“I talked to him this morning for the second time and he’s not able to sleep at night and he’s having a hard time dealing with it. He has flashbacks every time he tries to close his eyes and understandably so. It’s not an easy thing to deal with, it’s one of biggest fears each bus driver has.”

From what he understands from the driver and the bus’s dashboard camera, Chaudhary said the car appeared to veer into the bus’s lane before straightening out and getting back into his lane.

“The car didn’t slow down or anything,” said Chaudhary. “It was just a few seconds before (the bus driver) could do anything. He just slammed on the brakes and leaned on the horn to try to wake the guy up or whatever. But it was too late.

“In that few seconds, it’s hard (to do anything but hold on). With a bus, you can’t get out of the way or anything like that. It’s an unfortunate incident that took place.”

Despite his own struggles following the incident, Chaudhary said the bus driver hopes the other driver recovers.

“One of the things he said to me this morning is he hopes the guy survives because if he survives it will make him feel better, that it’s not as bad as it seems.”

gdawkins@postmedia.com

Twitter: @SunGlenDawkins

