Truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was sentenced to eight years in prison for crashing into a bus killing 16 people and injuring 13 nearly a year ago. The bus was carrying a team of young hockey players and others connected to the Humboldt Broncos team of Saskatchewan.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Inez Cardinal said it was inconceivable that a driver would miss so many warnings and fail to stop. She noted that Sidhu was “unfortunately” preoccupied with a flapping tarp behind him.
Sixteen people died and 13 were injured when the truck plowed into the bus carrying the hockey team. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press/April 7, 2019)
Mitigating factors, but so many died, said judge
Mitigating factors were that Sidhu spared the families painful testimony by pleading guilty to 29 counts of dangerous driving, he expressed profound remorse and he had a clean driving record.
However, the judge said she had to consider how many people died or were severely injured and will have to face lifelong challenges. She added that a just sentence was important for public confidence in the system.
The sentence includes eight years for each of the people who died and five years for each person injured. The terms will be served concurrently. Offenders are eligible to seek parole after service one-third of their sentence.
Driver faces deportation
Sidhu is not a citizen of Canada, but a permanent resident. As such, he will face deportation after he is released from prison.
Reactions to the sentence will be mixed. The Humboldt hockey team issued a statement saying they would be but adding that the sentencing is a big step in the healing process.
Sidhu’s uncle issued a statement on behalf of his family extending sincere sympathies to the 29 families and thanking them for the sympathy and understanding they have shown Sidhu.
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