Year in Review: Jaskirat Sidhu receives eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to Humboldt Broncos bus crash

Family members of athletic trainer Dayna Brons and players Nick Shumlanski and Evan Thomas attended Sidhu’s guilty plea. Scott Thomas, Evan’s father, sat one row in front of Sidhu in Melfort Provincial Court before his plea, and said afterwards he felt his presence.

“It was a powerful moment for sure,” Thomas said. “I felt him behind me, no question. To be that close, my heart went up for sure. I’m glad I had that opportunity to be that close to him to be honest.

“When he said ‘guilty’ to me I have my closure. If he spends a day [or] 10 years [in jail], time is irrelevant. It’s not going to bring Evan back. I’ve got to spend the rest of my life with it, he’s got to spend the rest of his life with it… he acknowledged he’s guilty, that’s all I needed to hear.”

Sidhu’s sentence hearing took place in late January in Melfort at the Kerry Vickar Centre.

Sentence hearing

Over 75 victim impact statements were entered into the court record over the four-day sentence hearing.

Parents of Logan Boulet were the first to present their statements. Logan passed away at around 11:45 a.m. on April 7, 2018 in hospital, 19 hours after the crash.

Logan was kept alive long enough to donate his organs which his mother Bernadine said she took pride in.

“He will be known as someone who gave right to the end,” Bernadine said.

Logan’s father Toby echoed that sentiment in his statement.

“Logan knew the world needed givers and not takers,” he said.

Conner Lukan was last seen by his mother Robin on April 4, 2018, two days before the crash.

She began by saying the hardest thing a mother can do is to bury her child.

“I am here today to look at the man who is responsible for taking my son away from me. I have no forgiveness, I want you to see the pain that you have caused. No admission of guilt will ever be enough to fill the void,” Robin said.

Melissa Doerksen, daughter of bus driver Glen Doerksen, said her father was a family man with a “contagious personality” who made everyone around him smile.

The parents of Nick Shumlanski, who live very close to where the accident happened were some of the first people on the scene of the crash.

A statement was entered into the record for Darlene Hinz, the mother of Brody Hinz who was the team’s statistician.

Tyla Olenchuk, with the Crown prosecution office in Melfort began to read the statement but could not finish it.

Ryan Strasnitzki’s mother, Michelle told court that her son was paralyzed from the chest down in the crash and also lost so many beautiful friends.

“He is now a 19-year-old man driven to live in honour of his fallen friends,” Michelle said.

Michelle also thanked Sidhu for not putting the families through a painful court trial by admitting his guilt.

Layne Matechuk suffered a traumatic brain injury which his father said has left him very different.

Marilyn Cross, mother of Mark Cross had some very emotional words in her statement which she read aloud to the courtroom.

“Mark, if people know how much I missed you, they would wonder how I am still breathing,” she said.

Parents of Stephen Wack spoke about their boys kindness and intelligence that began as far back as being a toddler. Stephen’s little brother was born blind and Stephen would ask his parents if he could give his brother his own eyes so that he could see.

Scott Thomas said that their family is trying to move forward with their boy Evan, but it’s been tough.

“Mom and I cry every day, the family is moving and we bought a new house,” Scott said. “I don’t think we can stay there anymore.”

Day two of the hearing got underway with the victim impact statement of Christina Haugan, wife of head coach Darcy Haugan.

Christina referred to the event of the crash as a collision rather than an accident.

“An accident refers to something out of our control. Mr. Sidhu, you had control that day,” she said.

Haugan was also the father of two young boys.

Captain of the Humboldt Broncos. Logan Schatz was one of five children. His mother Bonnie spoke about April 6, being the day she gave birth to her youngest daughter.

April 6, 2018 will now always be the worst day of her life as well as her husband’s and their four other children.

“All you want for your kids is to take away their pain and knowing I can’t do that for them is killing me,” she said.

Logan Hunter’s mother Shaunna Norstrom said the loss of her son has led her to keep his bedroom door closed so that his scent doesn’t disappear.

Billet father to Parker Tobin and Tyler Smith, Paul Jefferson also entered his statement on the second day of the hearing which had a message of forgiveness.

Raelene and Russ Herold (Aaron Schuze/northeastNOW Staff)

“God has called me to forgive,” Jefferson said. “In sentencing, I ask the court to consider Sidhu and that his life shouldn’t be ruined; that would make him a 30th victim of this tragedy.”

Adam Herold was the youngest hockey player on the bus at the time of the crash. His mother Raelene delivered a statement as her husband Russ consoled her.

“Instead of following Adam’s hockey, we are grieving parents,” Raelene said. “Losing my child is nothing I will get over.”

Russ held up a picture of Adam in court to show Sidhu.

“I brought this because I’d like you meet Adam,” Russ said. “If you ever drive again, I hope you remember Adam’s name and the the names of the other 28 people who were on that bus.”

Jacob Leicht was referred to by his mother as being protective of his younger siblings.

Celeste Leray-Leicht also had some sympathy for Sidhu in her statement.

“Mr. Sidhu, I will keep all of these families in my prayers and I’ll also keep you in my prayers,” she said.

Other families were not as forgiving.

Many members of the gallery wept as Chris Joseph described looking for his son Jaxon at the hospital following the crash.

“If your boy was not on that list, that meant your boy was left behind in the snow and had been declared dead at the scene,” he said.

Chris took off Jaxon’s socks at the scene of the crash and said that they have been in his pocket since then.

Andrea Jospeh addressed Sidhu and told him: “I despise you for taking my baby away from me. When people say that you made a mistake, I want to throw up.”

Andrea and Chris Joseph express their feelinggs toward Sidhu during sentence hearing. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW staff)

Edward Tobin wished his son, Parker good luck over a text message on April 5, 2018 to which his son replied, “thanks dad.”

That was their last communication.

Day three of the hearing brought more emotional statements including the parents of athletic trainer Dayna Brons.

Brons passed away in hospital five days after the crash.

“I swear I saw a tear fall as she took her last breath,” Carol said.

Carol also read Dayna’s father Lyle’s statement. Lyle was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2013 and he quit farming in 2015.

“With Dayna’s therapy I was able to start doing more again and even help a friend with his farm,” he said.

The gains he made are gone now according to the statement.

Carol and Lyle Brons speak with reporters at Kerry Vickar Centre. (Aaron Schulze/northeastNOW Staff)

Play-by-play announcer Tyler Bieber’s mother Marilyn Hay said that there were often times that her son would drive himself to games but not that day.

“I got a text from him on April 6, at around 3 p.m. when he said he was on the bus,” Marilyn said. “I always encouraged him to go on the bus. To me, it was the safest.”

Paul and Tanya Labelle described the feeling of finding out their son Xavier and the rest of the team were in a crash.

Paul said he went to the collision scene.

“Nothing can prepare any parent for the heart-wrenching carnage that lay in front of me,” he said.

The Labelles were told that their son had not made it through.

They went to the funeral home and spent time with a boy they thought must be their son. It turned out the coroner’s office mistook the identities of two bodies and Xavier survived the crash.

Although the Labelles were relieved when they found out Xavier had survived, it was a mixed feeling.

“Our grief continued as we met the family that had kept vigil by his side,” Tanya said. “Then they found out their son had not survived.”

Statements were submitted in relation to Morgan Gobeil, and Kaleb Dahlgren. There were no statements on behalf of Brayden Camrud and Tyler Smith.

Assistant Coach Chris Beaudry had to identify the boys after the crash. He said he spent everyday with the boys and when they needed him most, he couldn’t tell who was who.

“Mr. Sidhu, I forgive you. Don’t let your life be wasted, do as much good as possible… forgive others as we have forgiven you,” Beaudry said.

On day four, court heard from Crown prosecutor Thomas Healey.

He noted there were changes made on Dec. 18, 2018 by Parliament in relation to dangerous driving causing death and causing bodily harm. He said dangerous driving causing death could be life imprisonment for the person found guilty.

Since this crash happened before Dec. 18, 2018, Sidhu could have faced 14 years per count of dangerous driving causing death, and 10 years per count of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, along with a 10-year driving prohibition.

Healey made submissions saying Sidhu passed by four signs before the stop sign at the intersection. He said the signs gave the driver lots of time to bring the semi to a stop.

“He completely ignored them,” Healey said.

Approximately the same time the next day, RCMP went to the intersection and re-enacted the scene of the crash on the highway. The signs and highway were all visible, with the sun not being a factor.

“There was no indication that Sidhu tried to stop. Glen Doerkson tried to stop… he did all he could do,” Healey said.

Defence lawyer Mark Brayford said when he started this case he saw 29 names, but after this week of victim impact statements, they turned into 29 people.

Jaskirat Sidhu turned 30 years old on Oct. 31, 2018. His parents own a 50-acre farm in India. He has one older brother.

Sidhu began training with another driver three weeks before the crash occurred. He was driving on his own for about a week before April 6, 2018.

On April 5, 2018, Sidhu drive from Calgary to Saskatoon, dropped off a load and stayed the night in Saskatoon. He then drove to Carrot River the following day.

“As he was driving to the intersection he noticed his tarps on the trailers flapping which was distracting,” Brayford said. “He stopped and re-tarped and then began again while being 10 or 15 minutes from the intersection.”

No clear sentencing recommendations were given by Brayford as he finished his defence submissions.

Healey said there was no formula with there being no other case of this magnitude requested a 10-year sentence.

Sidhu spoke to the court after a long, intense pause.

“I take full responsibility of what has happened. It happened because of my lack of experience and I am so, so, so, so sorry,” Sidhu said.

Sentencing was set for March 22, back at the Kerry Vickar Centre in Melfort.

Sidhu sentenced

Judge Inez Cardinal handed down an eight-year prison sentence for Sidhu.

Cardinal noted Sidhu’s remorse and guilty plea were mitigating factors, but added she had to consider the number of people who died or were severely injured and face life-long challenges as a result of the crash caused.

Once released from jail, Sidhu will be banned from driving for 10 years.

“The impact of this catastrophe will reverberate across Canada for years to come,” Cardinal said.

–

—With files from Aaron Schulze

angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser

by Angie Rolheiser

Year in Review: Jaskirat Sidhu receives eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to Humboldt Broncos bus crash

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