Two Winnipeg bus riders narrowly avoided serious harm when a city transit bus slammed into the shelter where they were seated downtown.
Audrey Paupanakis and her friend Karalee Linklater waited in the bus shelter at Portage Avenue and Fort Street for a dentist appointment just after noon on Tuesday. Paupanakis recounted the moment: “I turned around; all I heard was a big boom.” She was thrown forward, crashing into the opposite side of the shelter.
Eyewitness Details of the Collision
The bus clipped a glass panel behind the women, struck them from the rear, and shattered the glass. Linklater described looking back to see the massive vehicle right beside them. Shards of glass fell on the pair, slicing their hands. Shockingly, the driver continued on without stopping to check on them.
Returning to the scene on Wednesday, Paupanakis expressed her distress: “He didn’t even stop to come and check on us. I don’t even want to look at it. I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
Transit Response and Investigation
Winnipeg Transit’s Control Centre received a reports the operator confirming contact with the shelter at approximately 12:05 p.m., matching the women’s timeline. Initial reports indicated no injuries, but a follow-up noted a female struck by falling glass. A transit inspector arrived at the scene, though the women had already departed for medical care.
Officials continue an internal probe into the incident. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 withheld comment pending the ongoing investigation.
Treatment and Follow-Up Actions
Paupanakis and Linklater rushed to St. Boniface Hospital’s emergency room, where staff treated cuts on their hands from the broken glass. Paupanakis noted glass particles remained in her hoodie and jacket: “When we got to the hospital, she noticed that there was glass still in my hoodie. I still have glass particles on my jacket; I have to shake it off.”
On Wednesday, Linklater filed a police report with Winnipeg Police, who advised submitting a claim to Manitoba Public Insurance. She has since completed the process.
The women now urge transit users to stay vigilant at bus shelters. Paupanakis reflected: “I wasn’t even paying attention. But now since that happened, I’ve got eyes in the back of my head.”
