One of the brakes failed on a Regina transit bus that was involved in a fatal crash in February, a coroner’s report has found.

The report concluded that the death of 50-year-old Barbara Supynuk was accidental.

Supynuk was standing on a downtown sidewalk when a transit bus hit a sign post, which then fell over and struck her in the head. She later died of a severe traumatic brain injury in hospital.

Photos

Regina transit

(File photo)

According to the report, the bus failed to slow down at the stop and veered to the right because the left rear brake was not operational. The driver was well-rested at the time and had no medical issues.

Statements from other transit drivers revealed that there had been multiple complaints and vehicle-defect reports about the brakes on that particular bus.

The report notes that while the City of Regina says inspection and maintenance was completed in each case, no details of the repairs were provided.

Records show Saskatchewan Government Insurance had identified ongoing maintenance issues, including mechanical and structural defects, involving Regina transit buses as far back as 2010.

The coroner says the city should commission an independent audit to review practices and procedures related to the preventative maintenance of city transit buses, as well as driver training.

At a news conference Tuesday, deputy city manager Brent Sjoberg said the city fully supports that recommendation.

“We’ve put some new procedures and practices since the accident into place from a preventative maintenance standpoint and we’ll continue to look for those opportunities," Sjoberg said.

He added that the city will also ensure that transit bus drivers have proper training and support.

The report also recommends that the regulation of all municipal transit buses carrying more than 10 passengers be incorporated into the Traffic Safety Act to establish and enforce provincial standards.