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 Calgary semi driver charged in the collision, in case it was his only chance to see the man in person.
Scott Thomas, whose son Evan died in the collision, said earlier this week that he was unsure if he would be in Melfort provincial court for Jaskirat Singh Sidhu’s appearance. In the end, he said he made the trip “in case this goes to a plea bargain.”
“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.”
Sidhu, 29, was released Tuesday on $1,000 bail.
He 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.
He 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.
Melfort prosecutor Thomas Healey, on behalf of the Crown, consented to Sidhu’s release on a number of conditions, which include that he report to a Melfort probation officer upon his release, that he reside at a home in Calgary, that he hand over his passport, that he not operate a motor vehicle and that he obey a curfew of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The majority of seats in the courtroom were filled by members of the media.
Thomas was one of the few family members of crash victims who attended court.
He 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 completely full on Tuesday morning and there was no one in the overflow room during Sidhu’s appearance.
Following the proceedings, RCMP escorted Sidhu from the courthouse and into an unmarked SUV. Neither Sidhu nor his lawyer, Satnam Aujla, spoke to media.
The father of deceased player Adam Herold didn’t go to court but said he was glad Sidhu had to surrender his passport.
“At least they put some conditions on it,” Russell Herold 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.”
Russell and his wife, Raelene, filed a lawsuit in Regina Court of Queen’s Bench on 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.
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 at the intersection of highways 35 and 335. Sidhu, who was returning to Alberta from Carrot River, was not injured in the collision.
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.
Sidhu was arrested without incident at his residence in Calgary last Friday, exactly three months 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.