Driver who helped injured passengers after B.C. bus crash credits firefighter training

Rich Rogers was driving on Highway 39 with his wife and 12-year-old son on Wednesday when they saw a shuttle bus flip onto its side and leave the highway about four kilometres south of Mackenzie, B.C. The crash injured 20 people. Rogers, a former firefighter who now drives mine workers, said his emergency training kicked in as he rushed to assess and triage the injured. His wife called emergency services.

Rogers said he found one person who had been ejected from the bus and did not appear to be breathing. Three other people were unconscious inside the vehicle, which had been chartered by a contractor for a data centre company. Rogers stayed to help clear debris from the road and later caught a ride back into town with the local fire department.

He said he does not think of himself as a hero. The crash has brought up difficult emotions, but he hopes his efforts give the injured passengers a chance to recover.

Northern Health said Thursday that 15 of the 20 people assessed and treated at its facilities after the crash have since been discharged. The crash happened in a remote part of northern B.C., about 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, and prompted two hospitals to declare Code Orange mass-casualty status.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2026.