MiWay driver charged in deadly 8-vehicle crash that killed Mississauga woman

A MiWay bus driver has been charged in connection with a deadly eight-vehicle crash in which a Mississauga woman was killed this past June when the car she was driving was struck from behind by a fast-moving transit vehicle.

Nearly five months after the June 8 chain reaction pile-up in the Malton area of north Mississauga, Peel Regional Police said they arrested and charged the MiWay bus driver last Thursday “following a complex investigation.”

Baljeet Dhaliwal, 49, of Brampton, is charged with dangerous operation causing death. She’ll appear in Brampton court at a later date to answer to the charge.

Described as a “shining star,” a mentor and a woman with a big heart, Sharron Williams, 50, was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after being involved in the multi-vehicle collision as she headed to work on the early June morning.

The crash was captured on a dashcam video (see link below) widely circulated online that showed a MiWay bus seemingly not slowing down and then plowing into the back of the Mississauga woman’s car as she was stopped in traffic on Derry Road, at Rexwood Road.

Williams’ car, in which she was the lone occupant, was then violently pushed into other vehicles ahead of hers. Several other people were injured, but survived.

As fate would have it, Williams’ routine changed somewhat that morning as she decided to stop at a Tim Hortons along Derry Road shortly after leaving her Malton home.

The driver of the MiWay bus was among those taken to hospital.

The aftermath of the June 8, 2023 eight-car chain reaction crash on Derry Road. Other photos appear at bottom of story.

Not long after the deadly crash, it was reported that the bus driver was on a leave of absence.

A City of Mississauga spokesperson told insauga.com today that the MiWay driver remains on leave.

“Now that charges have been laid, the city will review the findings of the investigation and determine next steps. The driver will remain on leave until next steps are confirmed,” Mississauga transportation and works commissioner Geoff Wright said in an email statement.

“We remain deeply saddened by the tragic events of June 8. Our sympathies go out to the family of Sharron Williams, the woman who tragically lost her life, and to those who were injured and their families,” the statement continued, adding MiWay “cooperated fully with the Peel Regional Police investigation.”

The statement concluded: “The city will consider the learnings from this incident as we work to ensure that similar occurrences are prevented in the future.”

Williams, whose LinkedIn profile showed she worked as a manager at the Agincourt Community Services Association, was reportedly about to become a grandmother for the first time.

In addition to her work in the community, particularly with children, Williams was also known to prioritize family and would do anything for family members.

Video: Crash involving MiWay bus leaves one dead, 8 injured in Mississauga