A cruise ship shore excursion ended in tragedy for a 75-year-old local woman in Canada, who was struck by a bus carrying cruise ship guests.
The accident happened in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Coach Atlantic bus was carrying guests from the Celebrity Eclipse ship.
Elderly Woman Died in Hospital
The pedestrian was struck by the bus and killed as it headed out from the port area on a tour. She was pronounced dead sometime later in hospital. The incident is still under investigation.
“It was coming from the ports area, and it was loaded with passengers. So, we do have lots of witnesses that are providing a lot of background as to what happened,” said Charlottetown police Cpl. Tim Keizer. Police said no one on the bus reported any injury.
“It would be a very traumatic experience for anybody. We spoke to a lot of the passengers that were coming off the bus and the employees of the bus line did a fantastic job of talking with and comforting them.”
Mike Cassidy, owner of Coach Atlantic, said around 50 cruise guests were on the bus at the time. “Naturally our first thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the lady who passed,” Cassidy said. “The driver, when he was brought back to the terminal, was just in shock.'”
Cruise Ship Guests Interviewed by Police
An intersection in downtown Charlottetown was cordoned off for about four hours while police surveyed the crash scene and interviewed passengers from the bus. Most of the cruise guests were transferred to another vehicle to continue with their planned excursion although some others opted to return to the Celebrity Eclipse.
“Port Charlottetown is deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred,” Port Charlottetown CEO Mike Cochrane said in a statement.
