DARTS driver killed in crash remembered as a ‘beautiful person, inside and out’
Sherri D'Amour had taken Wednesday off work to celebrate her 49th birthday.
She'd had gone to IHOP for a meal, played the slots and was set to celebrate her birthday with family and friends on the coming weekend, said co-worker Anja McLaren.
Those plans were not to be.
Through union members and coworkers, The Spectator has identified D'Amour as the DARTS bus driver who was killed on the job shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday in the area of Main Street West and Locke Street South.
Hamilton police said D'Amour was getting ready to pick up a passenger when a Honda Civic sedan, driven by a 75-year-old woman, going east on Main left the roadway, collided with a building and hit D'Amour as she was exiting her bus.
D'Amour was transported to hospital but died of her injuries.
Her death marks this year's 10th pedestrian fatality in Hamilton and the first workplace fatality in the history of DARTS, a non-profit organization that provides door-to-door transit service to those with mobility and accessibility needs in the city.
The impact on the organization was clear Saturday morning as around 50 DARTS workers and community members gathered to honour D'Amour.
The group gathered at Dundurn Plaza and from there, walked eastbound along the sidewalk to the area where D'Amour was hit.
Many shared tearful hugs as they came together as some walked with looped arms, while others comforted one another as traffic scuttered by.
Those gathered together were dressed in yellow safety vests - which they wear on the job - and black arm bands adorning their union chapter.
Several attendees carried signs asking drivers to slow down and follow the speed limit, while others held red roses and bouquets of bright flowers.
Everybody loved Sherri," said McLaren, speaking to The Spectator at the gathering. She was just a beautiful person, inside and out."
Outside of the building where D'Amour was killed, several coworkers gave speeches as flowers, cards and a DARTS work shirt were taped to a nearby pole.
Speaking to the crowd, Marlene Blair said D'Amour loved life, loved her job and was the kind of person who would always help out when she could.
She was a friend, a co-worker and was taken from us way too early," said Blair, in prayer. Sherri, you will always be remembered in our hearts."
D'Amour had been a driver with DARTS for nearly 20 years, according to the organization. She was one of the last people former general manager Philip Coburn hired before he left in the early 2000s.
And immediately upon bringing her on, Coburn recognized the love and care" she had for her passengers.
It was just something she took to," he said. Sherri was the kindest soul."
D'Amour was an active member of the union, had played on the ladies baseball team and was on several committees within the organization. Many have likened her loss to that of a family member.
We're not family by blood, we're family by job and love," said Wendy Harbison, who helped organize the gathering. We're sisters."
Saturday was not just a day of mourning, but also of anger, confusion and shock for those involved with DARTS. Many, including Coburn, questioned how the crash could have happened and what went wrong.
As of Friday, police had not ruled out a mechanical failure or speed as factors in the collision, but neither impairment nor a medical condition were at play, according to investigators.
The 75-year-old driver of the Civic was arrested at the scene and later released pending further investigation.
Harbison said it's been unfathomable" to think about the logistics of the crash, given how congested traffic on Main Street usually is and how visible D'Amour would have been in her bright yellow safety vest.
You go to work everyday knowing you're going home and then you don't," said Harbison. We don't do a dangerous job, we do a job where we help people - this isn't supposed to happen."
In an email to The Spectator, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour said it was notified of the fatal crash Thursday afternoon and two inspectors were assigned to investigate.
The spokesperson said it was later determined that the crash was not considered a workplace fatality under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The collision reconstruction unit has taken over the investigation.
McLaren said DARTS workers have increasingly shared concerns about the roads and other motorists, both of which have gotten so tremendously worse than ever."
People are so in a hurry to go nowhere," said McLaren. It's getting more and more difficult."
She called for further measures to protect workers, including the creation of a Move Over Law similar to the one currently in place for emergency vehicles and tow trucks.
DARTS executive director Mark Mindorff said he's hopeful that city council will take further action to protect pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
Coun. Nrinder Nann and Coun. Maureen Wilson are set to draft and bring forward a motion to address the string of deadly incidents involving pedestrians on the city's streets.
Wilson told The Spectator Friday that she wants to ask city staff to come up with immediate changes" to aid road safety and structural design" improvements - including two-way traffic on Main.
But even with a potential movement for change afoot, McLaren said their community is reeling in the loss of D'Amour.
We're all in shock," said McLaren, noting that grief also extends to their passengers. Sherri was just a fabulous person."
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com