Calgary School Buses: Man in Life-Threatening Condition After Latest Crash

CALGARY, AB — A school bus crash today has left one person in life-threatening condition, adding to a troubling pattern of transit incidents across the city this month.

The February 12 collision marks at least the fifth school bus incident in Calgary since early February, raising fresh questions about student transportation safety as the Calgary Board of Education grapples with an $8.8 million funding gap and expanded service demands.

The Latest Incident

Details remain limited, but MyTransit Calgary confirmed the crash resulted in critical injuries. Emergency crews attended the scene, though the exact location and circumstances have not yet been disclosed by authorities.

The injured individual's connection to the bus—whether driver, passenger, or third party—has not been confirmed.

A Dangerous Month for School Transport

Just one day earlier, on February 11, Calgary saw three separate school bus collisions in a single day. The most serious involved a bus and SUV near Macleod Trail and 99th Avenue S.E., where both drivers required extrication and the SUV operator sustained serious, potentially life-threatening injuries.

Another February 11 incident saw a school bus leave Crowchild Trail near 24th Avenue N.W. after the driver suffered a medical emergency. Two students were assessed for minor injuries.

A third collision that same day on Sirocco Drive involved a school bus but resulted in no hospital transports.

Earlier in the month, a February 5 crash between a school bus and car on Deerfoot Trail near Anderson Road sent one driver to hospital with minor injuries.

System Under Strain

The frequency of incidents comes as the CBE navigates significant operational pressures. For the 2025-26 school year, Alberta Education's new regulation changed eligibility criteria from walking distance to driving distance, expanding yellow bus service to more students.

The CBE now transports approximately 30,000 students—4,000 more than last year—while receiving $2 million less in provincial funding. The board's transportation grant dropped from $51 million to $49 million, even as fuel costs jumped 10%.

Meanwhile, the City of Calgary allocated $76 million in its 2026 budget for Transit service improvements and safety upgrades, including continued work on the Active and Safe Routes to School program, which has delivered traffic safety improvements at more than 50 schools over the past two years.

The So What

Five school bus incidents in eight days isn't just statistics. It's kids late for class, parents refreshing news feeds, and a transportation system stretched thin by policy changes and budget shortfalls. Today's crash underscores what happens when expansion meets constraint—and someone pays the price in an ICU bed.

Calgary Police Service and emergency officials have not yet released additional details about the February 12 collision. Investigations are ongoing.