Owner of trucking business involved in fatal crash linked to new company
Alberta Transportation says there’s no legal reason to suspend a new company linked to the owner of the trucking company involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
The safety certificate for Calgary-based Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. was pulled following the April 6 crash that killed 16 people and injured 13 others.
And while Adesh Deol remains on suspension by the province pending provincial and RCMP investigations, Alberta Transportation confirmed on Tuesday another numbered trucking company has been registered at the same Calgary address as Adesh Deol.
“It is our understanding that one of the trucks and one of the drivers listed from Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. are operating with this numbered company,” the ministry said in a statement.
Alberta Transportation said the only driver employed by the new company, legally named 1929282 Alberta Ltd., “is not the driver who was involved in the Humboldt incident.”
The ministry said the new company registered with the province on May 9. But the new company was also put under a suspension when officials noticed similarities between 1929282 and Adesh Deol.
The temporary suspension of the new company was lifted June 1, with the province saying it “had no legal grounds to maintain the suspension.”
The RCMP said they are preparing to talk to Crown prosecutors about potential charges from the crash.
Adesh Deol owner Sukhmander Singh said Tuesday the new trucking outfit is not his and he is not a driver for the numbered company.
“(Alberta Transportation) do not allow for me, I can’t open a new company,” he said, adding he is not the only person who lives at the address linked to the new company.
“Lots of guys are living (at this address),” he said.
He said he has been working as a dump truck driver “for someone else” since the Humboldt crash and is complying with Alberta Transportation’s suspension.
“Under my name, (Alberta Transportation) don’t allow for any company,” Singh said.
Only Singh’s safety fitness certificate — not his operators licence — was suspended, and Alberta Transportation said Singh can work for another company while Adesh Deol is under suspension.
But he’s not allowed to be an owner of that company.
No owner, director or shareholder from a company with a suspended safety fitness certificate is allowed to be the owner, director or shareholder of a new company, the ministry said.
There is also a six-month waiting period for any owner, director or shareholder of a suspended company before they would be allowed to start a new company.
Being able to start a new company in either of those three roles would depend on the results of Alberta Transportation’s investigation.
The ministry said the new company will be “closely monitored” over the next three months.
“If any significant safety infractions are found during this period” the new company’s safety certificate will be pulled, the ministry said.
Singh said Adesh Deol only had two employees and two trucks at the time of the crash.
He said his driver involved in the crash had only worked for Adesh Deol “for about a month” before the fatal collision.
Correction: Postmedia reported on Tuesday the suspension on Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. was lifted on June 1. The lifted suspension was for 1929282 Alberta Ltd.