Mississauga MiWay bus driver found not guilty in fatal 2023 crash
Posted July 10, 2026 10:25 am.
Last Updated July 10, 2026 4:34 pm.
A Mississauga MiWay bus driver has been found not guilty in connection to a crash that killed a 50-year-old woman back in 2023.
Baljeet Dhaliwal had been charged with dangerous driving causing death in the crash that saw the MiWay bus she was driving crash into the back of Sharron Williams’ car as she sat stopped at the red light at the intersection of Derry Road and Rexwood Road.
Her car was then pushed into several other vehicles ahead of her.
The crash also injured eight other people.
In his descision, Justice David Harris said the mystery of what caused this incident “has not been solved,” and that there is resonable doubt that Dhaliwal was responsible for the collision.
“Reasonable doubt must be excluded. That standard, in my view, has not been achieved. The crown has failed to convincingly remove brake malfunction as the cause of the collision,” read his decision.
Lawyers for a MiWay bus driver argued that Dhaliwal attempted to apply the brakes several times before the multi-vehicle crash and the court heard frantic audio of Dhaliwal just minutes after the June 2023 crash, telling a 911 operator the brakes didn’t work, she couldn’t stop the bus and tried to go onto the grass.
She also stated she had to use the hand brake to stop the bus.
The defence also noted unreliable engine control module data, an axle fire that erupted while the bus was being towed, and the fact that MiWay destroyed the bus before the defence or the Crown could conduct a proper forensic investigation.
Meanwhile, the Crown prosecutor had suggested that Dhaliwal was driving distracted and was overall “inattentive” in the hours leading up to the crash.
The Crown also claimed the driver overstayed at the final stop before the collision, was rushing to keep time, and miscalculated the signal change and flow of traffic as the bus approached the intersection.
The victim’s son, Danny, was present for the verdict and said he believes justice an not served. “[They] had no evidence, no way to prove it in court. The bus was destroyed,” he shared outside the courthouse.
The City of Mississauga said they were “surprised and disappointed by today’s decision,” adding their thoughts and sympathies with the family of Sharron Williams.
They also add the bus involved in the collision was sequested and held for MTO and Peel Regional Police to investigate and collect any evidence required. “Both the defence and prosecutor were also provided access to collect evidence,” read the statement.
“Only after the investigation concluded and at the direction of Peel Police and MTO did MiWay decommission the bus. It was retired from service in line with regular protocols in February 2025, 20 months after the collision. Furthermore, an independent, third-party review of the bus after the collision found that it was mechanically sound with no defects that would have contributed to the collision,” concluded their statement.
