Truck driver’s sentence ‘has to send a message’

SASKATOON Kevin Matechuk says he will never, never forgive the semi driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

Matechuk’s 19-year-old son Layne, of Colonsay, is still coping with a brain injury he suffered in the collision last April.

Calgary trucker Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 30, who blew a stop sign and caused the crash, is to be sentenced in Melfort on Friday on 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. He pleaded guilty to every charge he faced in connection with the April 6, 2018, bus tragedy.

“I know he purposely didn’t go out to kill all those people but he did ... run that stop sign,” Matechuk said.

“It was his fault.”

Sidhu failed to stop at the intersection of Highways 35 and 335. As a result, the bus carrying the Broncos hockey team T-boned his double trailer semi, according to details heard at Sidhu’s four-day sentencing hearing in January.

In detailed submissions to Judge Inez Cardinal, Crown prosecutor Thomas Healey argued for a 10-year sentence followed by a 10-year driving ban. He said the sentence needs to send a strong message about the dangers of distracted driving.

“This was not just an accident, this was a crime. A very serious crime,” he said.

Defence lawyer Mark Brayford did not suggest a specific sentence, instead presenting case law from other cases of dangerous driving causing death that involved sentences between 18 months and four and a half years.

But both lawyers agreed this is new territory when it comes to case law.

Court heard Sidhu went by four signs warning about the upcoming intersection before he came up to an oversized stop sign with a flashing light.

His lawyer told court Sidhu was an inexperienced driver distracted by a flapping tarp on the back of his load.

The failure to comprehend the signage is what elevated the case from a traffic offence to a criminal act, said Brayford.

Sidhu spoke publicly for the first time at the conclusion of his sentencing hearing. He apologized to the victims’ families and said he takes full responsibility for the crash.

Family members submitted 90 victim impact statements during the emotional sentencing hearing. Some said they forgive Sidhu, while others said they are too angry.

“It’s funny how the wide range of different people feel and everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” said Matechuk.

Melanie Smith of Leduc, Alta., whose 20-year-old son Tyler was also injured, will be glad to have the court case over. “We’re content about how it turned out with him pleading guilty to all 29 counts and the emotion he showed,” she said.

“We don’t really have any thoughts either way on what he ends up getting sentenced. The problem is you either have to forgive or you somehow have to get past whose fault it was. It was his fault. And as a family we’re content.”

Former NHL player Chris Joseph of St. Albert, Alta., lost his 20-year-old son Jaxon in the crash. He said forgiveness won’t bring his son back. And he’s going to be disappointed whatever the sentence.

“I don’t know if there’s any number that would make me happy,” he said.

“He did the crime. He needs to do the time. And we would like the legal system to show that it doesn’t matter that you feel bad. It’s nice that you feel bad. It doesn’t matter though.”

Michelle Straschnitzki’s 19-yearold son, Ryan, from Airdrie, Alta., was paralyzed from the chest down. She has days when she would like to think forgiveness is possible.

But her anger overwhelms those feelings.

“There are days that it’s no — no matter what. Nothing ’s going to be OK again and 16 people are gone and the lives of 13 children are still in flux.”

She wants the judge to give Sidhu a harsh sentence.

“It has to be more than a slap on the wrist. It has to send a message,” she said.

“Unfortunately it won’t really change anything, but it has to make a difference and change people’s minds.”

As of December 2018, the Criminal Code of Canada increased the maximum penalty for dangerous driving causing death from 14 years to life imprisonment, and the maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing bodily harm from 10 years to 14 years. The changes do not apply to Sidhu because the crash happened before the amendment.