RCMP unable to say when crash probe will be finished

SASKATOON Saskatchewan RCMP say they are still unable to say when the investigation into the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy will be completed.

In a news release on Tuesday, RCMP said a collision reconstruction team and major crimes unit continue to “methodically analyze the data and evidence gathered.” Once completed, the analysis will be peer-reviewed to ensure its findings and conclusions are valid, the release stated.

This is “standard practice” for complex investigations, it added.

An investigation into the April 6 crash that killed 16 people on the Broncos bus and injured another 13 has been underway for about 10 weeks.

The tragedy affected not only people in Saskatchewan, but across Canada and the globe. Support poured in for the mourning families and the community of Humboldt.

RCMP said investigators are preparing for consultation with the Crown following the conclusion of the investigation, another practice that regularly occurs in “serious, sensitive, and complex investigations.”

The release said investigators have kept in close contact with the victims’ families, regularly reaching out to provide support.

“We are all anxious to learn the results of this investigation to assist in understanding what led to this terrible tragedy,” Supt. Derek Williams, the officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP’s major crimes unit, said in a statement.

“We are committed to sharing the outcome of the investigation as soon as we can.”

In the release, RCMP said investigations “by their very nature, are dynamic,” and investigators are guided by what they learn on a daily basis.

“What investigators learn today can influence what action they need to take tomorrow,” it stated.

“Based on that, we are not able to provide an estimate as to when the investigation might be complete.”