Owner of trucking company involved in Humboldt bus crash charged

Edmonton: The owner of an Alberta trucking company involved in the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash has been charged.

Alberta Transportation Minister Brian Mason said Wednesday that Sukhmander Singh of Adesh Deol Trucking faces charges of non-compliance with various federal and provincial safety regulations.

“The charges follow an investigation that was completed by Alberta Transportation into the collision,’’ Mason said. “The investigation found multiple instances of non-compliance of various transportation regulatory requirements in a six-month period.” Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured in rural Saskatchewan six months ago when their bus was involved in a crash with a semi-truck owned by the Calgary-based company.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, who was driving the semi unit, was charged earlier this year with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Officials with Alberta Transportation said eight charges have now been laid against the trucking company owner.

They include seven federal charges: two counts of failing to maintain logs for drivers hours of service, three counts of failing to monitor the compliance of a driver under safety regulations, and two counts of having more than one daily log for any day. The eighth charge under provincial regulations alleges failure to have or follow a written safety program.

When reached in Calgary, Singh said he didn’t have any comment.

A department spokesman said a federal Crown lawyer will be handling the prosecution on the charges against the owner. Singh’s first court appearance is Nov. 9 in Calgary.

The maximum penalty for a federal hours of service failing is $5,000 per offence, while the provincial charge carries a $310 penalty. A court can, however, use discretion to impose a penalty up to $2,000. Alberta Transportation said Adesh Deol Trucking remains suspended.