| Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash | |
|---|---|
  Crash site Crash site (Saskatchewan)  Crash site Crash site (Canada) | |
| Details | |
| Date | April 6, 2018 |
| Location | Intersection of Saskatchewan Highway 35 and Saskatchewan Highway 335 near Armley, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Incident type | Collision |
| Cause | Failure to yield at stop sign[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Statistics | |
| Bus | Charlie's Charters and semi-truck owned by Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd |
| Vehicles | 2 |
| Passengers | 28 + bus driver & semi driver |
| Deaths | 16 |
| Injured | 13 |
On April 6, 2018, 15 people were killed and 13 were injured when a northbound coach bus struck a westbound semi-trailer truck that blew through a stop sign near Armley, Saskatchewan, Canada. The driver of the truck had failed to yield at a flashing stop sign at the intersection of Saskatchewan Highways 35 and 335 while driving at a speed of approximately 100 km/h (62 mph). Most of the deceased and injured were players from the Humboldt Broncos, a junior ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, which plays in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).
On July 6, 2018, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) charged 29-year-old Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the truck, with sixteen counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and thirteen counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury. In early 2019, Sidhu pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Sidhu, an immigrant from India, plans to appeal deportation from Canada if he is granted parole.[6][7]
The crash prompted condolences from public figures and celebrities, along with vigils and tributes such as people leaving hockey sticks outside their doors. A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign set a national record by raising more than CA$15,000,000. The crash was the deadliest road accident in Canada since the 1997 Les Éboulements bus accident, which killed 44 people.[8]
- ^ Morgan Lowrie (April 9, 2018). "Investigating Humboldt Broncos crash likely to be a long process, experts say". The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
The semi-truck would have had to stop to a stop sign before crossing over the highway the hockey bus was travelling on.
- ^ Andre Picard (April 9, 2018). "Humboldt team bus crash is a tragic reminder that we need safer roads". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
But, from the violence of the crash, it is clear that one of two vehicles failed to yield at an intersection where fatal crashes have occurred before.
- ^ Andrew Russell; Stewart Bell (April 12, 2018). "Humboldt bus crash cause unknown as new details on truck and bus driving companies emerge". Global News. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
Scott Thomas, father of Broncos forward Evan Thomas who was killed in the crash, said a police officer shortly after the crash told him a driver ran the stop sign. "The police officer says someone blew a stop sign", Thomas told Global News. He also said he doesn't believe the sun played a factor in the crash.
- ^ Olivia Stefanovich (May 6, 2018). "'I want to be able to hug the families and say sorry': Key witness recounts Humboldt Broncos bus crash". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
The semi-trailer involved in the crash was travelling westbound on Highway 335. It would have passed a flashing stop sign before entering an intersection where Highway 335 meets Highway 35. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)
- ^ Tristin Hopper (April 20, 2018). "The hard lessons that can be learned from the Humboldt Broncos crash". National Post. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
On Thursday, RCMP confirmed that the semi-truck which collided with the Humboldt Broncos team bus was in an intersection when it shouldn't have been.
- ^ Shield, David (February 2, 2019). "Semi-driver in Humboldt Broncos crash will likely be deported, says immigration lawyer". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said since Sidhu pleaded guilty to a serious charge, it's very likely he will be sent back to his birth country of India once he completes his sentence.
- ^ Haines, Avery (October 2, 2021). "Jaskirat Sidhu, the 'Humboldt Driver,' speaks out". W5. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ Canada’s deadliest road crashes, from Dorion to the Humboldt Broncos