The driver of a transport truck involved in the fatal collision that took the lives of 10 Humboldt Broncos junior hockey players, as well as six other people, has been charged.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, faces 29 criminal charges for his involvement in the tragic accident. RCMP said that he has been accused of dangerous driving causing death as well as causing bodily injury.
Thirteen other players were also injured during the crash, which occurred on April 06, 2018 on an intersection in rural Saskatchewan. Sidhu was charged three months after the crash. He was arrested last week and is being held in custody; Sidhu awaits a court appearance in Saskatchewan next week, The Canadian Press reported.
RCMP declined to reveal any details of its investigation into the crash, or what it believes happened during that day. The police force, however, confirmed that Sidhu’s truck was in the intersection when the collision occurred.
With 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death, Sidhu potentially faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for each count. He could also potentially serve 10 years for each of the 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
In April, Sidhu’s employer, Adesh Deol Trucking, said that the driver was visiting the doctor and receiving counseling shortly after the incident. Adesh Deol Trucking owner Sukhmander Singh added that he essentially went out of business after the crash, since Alberta Transportation ordered his company to keep its only other truck off the road.
Transportation Minister Brian Mason last week said that measures to improve trucking safety could be announced within the next two weeks; the measures may include qualification and training of drivers of large vehicles, testing drivers in all license categories, and how to better regulate the trucking industry.
Shortly after the crash, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) announced that it was set to introduce mandatory semi-trailer driver training. The plan will be “in place by early 2019, with full implementation shortly after,” a representative told CBC News.
According to SGI, out of the over 2,000 individuals who took their Class 1 truck license exam last year, 10% had not undergone any sort of safety training.
