Chipman-Lamont School Bus-Train Collision
Crash site Crash site (Alberta)
Details
Date	February 29, 1960
Location	Lamont, Alberta
Statistics
Vehicles	2 (bus, train)
Passengers	42
Deaths	17

The Chipman-Lamont school bus-train collision occurred on November 29, 1960, when a bus carrying 42 students from Chipman, Alberta, near Edmonton, Alberta, was struck by a freight train, just east of Lamont, Alberta, killing 17 on board.^[1]

Accident

On November 29, 1960, a bus carrying 42 students from the town of Chipman, Alberta, was struck at a railway crossing on their way to a neighboring high school in the town of Lamont, Alberta.^[2] The impact caused the bus to hit a metal pole, sheering it in half; the train dragged the front half a kilometer down the tracks before the train was able to stop.^[2] A teacher in a car directly behind the bus recalled the bus stopping at the crossing, then continuing through just prior to the train hitting.^[2] Bodies were scattered throughout the wreckage with some bodies so badly injured that they could not be recognized.^[2] Of the 42 students on the bus, 17 were killed, with many others hospitalized with severe injuries.^[3] The driver of the bus survived the crash while sustaining critical injuries.^[2]

Aftermath

The driver of the bus was charged with criminal negligence, however, was acquitted at a later date.^[3]

Legacy

The Chipman-Lamont school bus-train collision remains the deadliest traffic accident in Alberta history. In May, 2021, a Gofundme was set up to raise money for a memorial to honor the victims. Two memorials were erected in 2022, one at the site of the accident and one in Chipman, Alberta.^[4]

See also

List of deadliest Canadian traffic accidents

List of traffic collisions (before 2000)

List of disasters in Canada

References