Truck driver in Humboldt Broncos bus crash pleads guilty
Nearly six months after being released on bail, and multiple adjournments in between, Jaskirat Sidhu pleaded guilty to all 29 counts related to the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in April 2018.
Sidhu, the semi-truck driver involved with the Broncos crash, appeared in Melfort Provincial Court on Jan. 8, 2019 and gave up his right to a trial by voluntarily pleading guilty to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death along with 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm
Mark Brayford, a Saskatoon-based defence lawyer who took over the case from previous lawyer Satnam Aujla, said Sidhu’s position was he didn’t want to go through a plea bargain or trial prior to his guilty plea.
“Mr. Sidhu advised me ‘I don’t want to make things any worse. I can’t make things any better, but I certainly don’t want to make them worse by having a trial,’” Brayford said. “He is devastated. He wanted to let the families know that he is devastated by the grief that he has caused them. He is overwhelmed by the expressions of sympathy and kindness that some of the families and players have expressed to him, in spite of the fact that their grief is entirely his fault.”