'Broken glass and tears everywhere': Student grapples with PTSD one year after school trip crash

Kurt Abad replays the accident in his mind and in his sleep. 

"I saw the semi go closer and closer until we hit it from behind," Abad says. 

"What really haunts me is seeing my friends around me scared and horrified. We just witnessed a near-death experience and we didn't know what was in store for us."

On April 19, 2023, a bus carrying band students from Maples Collegiate smashed into the back of a semi on the Trans-Canada Highway in rural Saskatchewan. The bus driver was injured and the students were stranded. The students had been on their way home to Winnipeg from a band trip to Alberta when the accident happened.

"Broken glass and tears everywhere. It's not something I like to remember, but every now and then I still hear the cries."

Abad, now 18, has struggled with PTSD in the year since the accident. He struggled to sleep. He had anxiety. 

But he is seeing a way through.

"The trip changed me in a lot of positive ways too. Spiritually it got me closer to my faith. It got me closer to God," says Abad. 

Abad's story is now the subject of a short documentary by students in the Create program at Sisler High School in Winnipeg. The post-high program trains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking.

Create students Jassey Bombita Galatierra, Laura Marie Carandang, Cyrhyl Zamora and Chaira Plaga produced the new video.

Meet the filmmakers

Jassey Bombita Galatierra is a St. John's High School graduate and joined Sisler Create to pursue her love of filmmaking, photography and editing. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching Korean TV shows, dancing and playing games.

Laura Marie Carandang is sociable and hard-working. She loves filmmaking and editing. She has been editing videos since 2016 as a hobby. Laura enjoys going out, dancing and playing video games in her free time

Chaira Plaga is a Sisler High School graduate with a background in motion and graphic design. Taking visual effects in the last year sparked her interest in cinematography.

Now, Plaga wants to discover her potential in film production. She is happy to be part of Sisler's post-high school film cohort this year, and is excited to discover her other talents. In her free time, she likes cleaning, listening to music, and expanding her photography skills.

Cyrhyl Zamora has always had a passion for creation. She loves painting, sculpting, writing and photography.

After being introduced to filmmaking in high school, she discovered a new passion. She uses her comfort with cameras and photography to capture her vision. She wants to continue to perfect her skills in filmmaking and storytelling to elevate the quality of her work.

More about Project POV: Sisler Create

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC Manitoba journalists to produce short docs. The collaboration is in its second year. You can see past projects here. 

The Winnipeg School Division's Create program is hosted at Sisler High School and trains post-high students in the creative digital arts.

During fall 2023, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking students and led producing workshops at the Create program at Sisler High School.

The post-high school program focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media