Parents of woman dragged by Exo bus want answers in daughters death

MONTREAL – The parents of a woman who was hit and dragged by a bus in Montreal are looking for answers in their daughter’s death.

Around 5 p.m. on Jan. 22, 27-year-old Yasaman Salehi, known to her family as ‘Yassi’, was hit and dragged underneath an Exo bus.

Her mom says she was wearing a bright red jacket when it happened, but the bus driver told police he never saw her.

“[They] said we talked to him, he was fine.’ I wouldn’t call that investigation. His phone should have been taken away right away, his alcohol should have been tested right away–this is not information that you can get later,” said Salehi’s mother, Laleh Tajrobehkar.

CityNews reached out to Exo and the company said it doesn’t take accidents like this one lightly.

“We are sensitive and empathetic to the pain of these parents who have just lost their child. When an accident occurs, Exo always carries out a thorough analysis of the events to see if actions could be put in place to avoid similar situations in the future,” reads a statement from Exo.

SPVM’s spokesperson Caroline Chevrefils told CityNews that investigators have been in contact with the family but that the case was closed over a week ago after Salehi’s death was ruled accidental, and that no charges would be laid on the bus driver.

These are details Tajrobehkar says she wasn’t made aware of.

“We are waiting for the coroner’s office to give us a report and we hear from here and there that the police concluded the investigation, but I don’t know, it hasn’t been told to us,” she said.

Salehi was rushed to the Montreal General Hospital with devastating injuries and underwent several surgeries, but doctors told her parents she had suffered traumatic brain injuries, and she would likely be in a vegetative state for life.

Her parents made the decision to take her off life support.

The parents were told that the driver only realized he’d hit her when another bus driver nearby alerted him. Salehi’s parents say they don’t understand why the bus driver hasn’t been fired.

“I want whoever is at fault for negligence, or whatever you want to call it, to be identified and to be reprimanded.”

But all Salehi’s parents want is answers so that they can have some closure and be able to mourn the loss of their beloved daughter.

“We haven’t been told any details and I don’t want to go and beg for information. It should be transparent. We should be told any information.”