Two days after a local bus driver was brutally attacked while on shift, people from near and far are showing their support through a new Facebook group.
As of Saturday morning, the "Support Tom Bregg, Edmonton Bus Driver" page boasted 328 members, with people writing messages of encouragement and expressing shock over what happened.
On Thursday, Bregg was viciously assaulted while driving the #10 Clareview route. He underwent eye surgery on Friday and remains in the intensive care unit at the Royal Alexandra hospital, where he is being treated for massive head injuries.
The creator of the Facebook group, Katerina Kane, says she doesn't know Bregg very well, but rides his bus most mornings and considers him "one of the nicest people [she has] had the pleasure of meeting." She tells CTV she wants the 58-year-old to know people are praying for his recovery and are outraged over the attack.
Many Facebook posts echo the following comment, written by the Voigt family: "Tom, we are shocked and disgusted for what you've had to endure. You're truly a sweet and gentle guy, to think that someone could do this to you (to anyone) is incredibly disheartening... our thoughts are of you as you recover."
Transit drivers from across Western Canada are also posting comments - some expressing thanks for the show of support from riders, and others admitting they are afraid for their safety while on the job.
ETS employee John Tucker writes, "we all have to stick together against this kind of violence... I am on edge right now every time I take the wheel of my bus and it should not be that way!"
For a look at other comments posted on the Facebook page, click here.
24-year-old Gary Edwin Mattson is accused of attempted murder in connection to Thursday's incident and there's no word on when he'll appear in court. It's believed the attack stemmed from an argument over the $2.50 bus fare.
