Bus collides with bison after delivering flood evacuees to Yellowknife

One of the buses used to transport people from Hay River to Yellowknife collided with a bison on the way back to Hay River.

The driver was returning in his empty school bus after dropping 40 people off in Yellowknife. Just north of Fort Providence, N.W.T., at 4:30 in the morning, the bus collided with a bison.

The impact was "huge," said Frazer Pike, the owner of the bus, which is part of a fleet that normally shuttles students to and from school.

"It hit on the driver's side and broke the left hand tie rod," said Pike. "That's why it veered into the ditch."

The bison died instantly. Pike said the driver was unhurt, though he had to wade through the flooded ditch to get out.

The bus was to be pulled out of the ditch and transported back to Hay River Friday afternoon.