SEMI DRIVER IN COURT
Broncos families want answers
The father of a Humboldt Broncos player left paralyzed after the team bus crash in April hopes charges against a semi driver will lead to answers into the highway tragedy.
Jaskirat Sidhu, 29, is scheduled to make his first appearance this morning in Melfort provincial court. On Friday, Sidhu was arrested at his Calgary home and charged with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. Sixteen people died and another 13 were injured after the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team’s bus collided with a semi north of Tisdale just after 5 p.m. on April 6.
RCMP have released virtually no details into the investigation’s results, saying only that the semi was in the intersection when the collision with the team bus occurred. RCMP Supt. Derek Williams said RCMP consulted extensively with the Crown before laying Criminal Code charges, as opposed to lesser charges under the Traffic Safety Act.
“I think that’s what people want to know. What exactly happened? How it did happen and why it happened,” said Tom Straschnitzki, whose son Ryan was paralyzed from the chest down.
“It’s finally come to charges being laid, so we are very happy about that because we don’t want that to be ignored at all,” he said.
“It should put a little closure to the first step and the second step is ... let’s see what the courts do and find out what exactly happened.”
Sidhu was remanded on Friday and transported to Saskatchewan for his initial appearance on the charges.
Straschnitzki said he and his wife, Michelle, hadn’t thought much in the three months since the crash about when or if charges would be laid.
“We were just too focused on Ryan and just had the faith in the RCMP that they did a lot of hard work to get it done,” he said. “I guess we’ll just wait and see in the courts.”
I think that’s what people want to know. What exactly happened? How it did happen and why it happened.
According to Williams, a core team of 20 investigators conducted more than five dozen interviews, took over 6,000 photographs and analyzed all documentation available during the three-month investigation. The speed of the vehicles, point of impact, position of vehicles, road and weather conditions, and witness evidence were all taken into consideration. There were no impaired driving charges laid on Friday, Williams noted.
“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.
“I know it’s been difficult for many to await the outcome of this police investigation,” said Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner Curtis Zablocki. “This important work was necessary.”