Careless driving charges have been dismissed against Rafael Quintanilla, the Grand River Transit driver who hit a St. Mary’s High School student in 2011.

Quintanilla was behind the wheel of a bus at the Homer Watson Boulevard and Block Line Road in October 2011 when then-16-year-old student Cassi Lam walked into a crosswalk.

The resulting crash left her with significant injuries and sparked a widespread debate about the safety of roundabouts.

Quintanilla’s lawyer, Jeffrey Manishen, had argued that Lam stepped into the roundabout when the bus was too close for Quintanilla to have taken any evasive action.

In delivering his verdict Wednesday, Justice Arthur Child questioned “inconsistencies” in Lam’s testimony and whether it was designed to aid her family’s $17-million civil lawsuit against Quintanilla, Grand River Transit, the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo.

"Not only her reliability is an issue, but also her credibility," he said.

"She changed her testimony."

Stacey Stevens, who is representing Lam in that lawsuit, told CTV News she doesn’t see Wednesday’s verdict as a barrier to victory in the civil suit.

She noted a “very high standard” on the Crown to prove the Highway Traffic Act offences that isn’t used in a civil trial, where the most probable argument wins the day.

“While the charges today dealt with the driver, we still have significant claims against the city and the region with respect to the design of the roundabout,” she said.

After the decision was announced, Quintanilla hugged family and friends who had come to court to support him.

“I’m sure he’s satisfied that he’s been entirely vindicated,” Manishen said outside court.

“His driving was reasonable in the circumstances.”

Stevens says Lam remains in high school behind former classmates who have graduated, while her focus remains on “moving beyond this … and getting on with her life.”