Bronco dad wanted to see accused man ‘face to face’
PlAyer’s fAther in Court As Driver ChArgeD in fAtAl Collision gets BAil
MELFORT The father of a player killed in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash said it was important for him to be in court for the first appearance of the semi driver charged in the collision, in case it was his only chance to see the man in person.
Jaskirat Sidhu was granted bail Tuesday after a brief appearance in Melfort provincial court. Sidhu is facing 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm after his semi collided with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team on April 6 north of Tisdale. His next appearance is scheduled for August 21.
Scott Thomas, whose son Evan died in the collision, was one of the few family members of crash victims who attended Tuesday’s hearing.
The majority of seats in the gallery were taken up by members of the media.
Thomas said earlier this week that he was unsure if he would be in court for Sidhu’s appearance. In the end, Thomas said Tuesday, he made the trip “in case this goes to a plea bargain, at least he can put my face to it.
“That’s all I wanted to accomplish today ... to hopefully see him face to face and, in case this never goes to trial, he’s seen my face.”
Thomas said the proceedings on Tuesday went as he expected, including Sidhu being granted bail.
“I just wanted to come today and represent the families who maybe wanted to be here that couldn’t be here, and at least have a presence in the building,” Thomas said. “Maybe he would feel a bit responsible for taking our sons’ lives.”
Myles Shumlanski, whose son Nick was injured in the collision, was also in attendance but did not speak to the media.
Saskatchewan provincial courts anticipated high public interest in Sidhu’s appearance and set up a live stream of proceedings in Melfort’s Court of Queen’s Bench.
However, the city’s small provincial courtroom was not full on Tuesday morning and there was no one in the overflow room during Sidhu’s appearance.
Melfort prosecutor Thomas Healey, on behalf of the Crown, consented to Sidhu’s release on $1,000 and a number of conditions, which include that he report to a Melfort probation officer upon his release, reside at a home in Calgary, hand over his passport, not operate a motor vehicle and obey a curfew of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Following the proceedings, RCMP escorted Sidhu from the courthouse and into an unmarked SUV. Neither Sidhu nor his lawyer, Satnam Aujla, spoke to media.
Russell Herold, whose son Adam died in the crash, didn’t go to court but said he was glad Sidhu had to surrender his passport.
“At least they put some conditions on it,” he said. “The bail seems low, but I guess if you go by the law, he doesn’t have a prior record and hasn’t tried to flee so I guess this is common.
“I’d prefer he be kept in jail, but we don’t have a choice in that.”
Sidhu wore a black polo shirt and track pants and stared sternly ahead, intermittently opening and closing his eyes while standing behind the prisoner’s box glass during his brief appearance.
Sidhu was arrested Friday without incident at his residence in Calgary and then transferred to Saskatchewan for his hearing.
Sixteen people died and another 13 were injured after the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team’s bus — bound for a playoff game in Nipawin — collided with a tractor-trailer north of Tisdale just after 5 p.m. on April 6. The driver of the semi was not injured in the collision.
The crash at the intersection of highways 35 and 335 has attracted worldwide attention. More than $15 million was raised through a GoFundMe campaign for those affected by the crash, with donations coming from across the globe. In the days after the tragedy, social media was flooded with photos by people who were leaving hockey sticks outside their door to show support for the Broncos.
In addition to the criminal charges, Sidhu is also the focus of at least one lawsuit. Russell and Raelene Herold filed a lawsuit in Regina Court of Queen’s Bench Monday against Sidhu, the company he worked for and the manufacturer of the Humboldt Broncos team bus, seeking an unspecified amount in damages, expenses, costs and interest.
They allege Sidhu was “not sufficiently skilled or trained to operate the semi” and that he “intentionally, recklessly and/or negligently ” drove through the intersection without regard for the lights and sign. The Herolds claim Sidhu had been driving with the company just two weeks — something his employer told media shortly after the crash — and had received the same amount of time in training.
Charges were announced last Friday, three months to the day after the collision. According to RCMP Supt. Derek Williams, RCMP consulted extensively with the Crown before Criminal Code charges were laid, as opposed to lesser charges under the Traffic Safety Act.
“Every piece of information was carefully examined,” said Williams.
The maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death is 14 years. The maximum for dangerous driving causing harm is 10 years.