A federal judge has upheld the decision to deport Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the truck driver responsible for the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018, dismissing applications for his stay in Canada.
This ruling comes despite Sidhu’s earlier parole grant after being sentenced to eight years for causing the crash that resulted in 16 fatalities and 13 injuries.
The Canada Border Services Agency had recommended that Sidhu be deported to India.
Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene, had argued that the Canada Border Services Agency failed to consider Sidhu’s previously clean criminal record and the remorse he had shown.
Greene asked the agency for a second review of the case that was rejected by Chief Justice Paul Crampton, who, however, mentioned that Sidhu could still apply for permanent resident status on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Crampton acknowledged the border officials’ were fair in their assessment and addressed both Sidhu’s record and “extraordinary degree of genuine, heart-wrenching remorse.”
“The officer’s decision was appropriately justified, transparent and intelligible,” wrote Crampton in his judgment.
He noted that the decision “reflected an internally coherent and rational chain of analysis and meaningfully engaged with the key issues raised by Mr. Sidhu.”
“It’s the right decision and sends the right message,” expressed Chris Joseph, whose 20-year-old son, Jaxon, was among those tragically killed in the crash, according to The Globe and Mail.
Sidhu, a newly married permanent resident and rookie trucker at the time, had driven through a stop sign at a rural intersection, colliding with the junior hockey team’s bus.
In December 2018, the provincial government said it would aim to improve safety at the site by installing “Stop Ahead” warning messages and rumble strips on the pavement leading to the intersection. 13 total recommendations for the crash site were recommended. At least 12 have been implemented.
The Broncos crash also prompted more stringent truck driver training and licensing rules and greater seat belt use on buses in Canada.
In January 2019, federal and provincial transport ministers agreed to develop a national training standard for entry-level semi-truck drivers. Mandatory truck driver training, only required in Ontario at the time of the collision, was scheduled to be implemented in Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2019.
The regulations concerning mandatory truck driver training vary greatly from province to province.
The federal government also announced that it would require all new built highway buses to have seat belts by September 2020.
Following the investigation, Sidhu was charged with numerous criminal counts, including dangerous driving causing death. A review also found that he had violated many safety-related trucking regulations, including driving time limits, in the days preceding the crash.
Global News reported that a logbook review found that Sidhu violated 51 federal and 19 Saskatchewan regulations between March 26 and April 6.
His employer, Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., was also charged with violating various federal and provincial trucking regulations, such as failing to maintain adequate logbooks. CBC reported that the company faced eight counts of failing to comply with various safety and log-keeping regulations.
In January 2019, Sidhu pleaded guilty to all charges that he faced. In March 2019, Sidhu was sentenced to eight years in prison. Federal law holds that a non-citizen permanent resident convicted of a serious crime can lose their residency.
One of the country’s most high-profile highway tragedies of all time led to nationwide support for the city, with people across the country propping up hockey sticks outside their doors to honour the players who were killed.
A GoFundMe campaign to support the Broncos and their families became the website’s most successful campaign ever launched in Canada. It raised more than $10 million in the week following the crash and reached more than $15 million by the time it closed.
