Jaskirat Singh Sidhu arrives in court Friday morning for his final sentencing. Photo courtesy CBC/Jason Warick.
A truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos crash has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu of Calgary had pleaded guilty earlier this year to 29 counts of dangerous driving.
Judge Inez Cardinal told court in Melfort, Sask., that Sidhu’s remorse and guilty plea were mitigating factors, but she had to consider the number of people who died or were severely injured and face lifelong challenges.
Sidhu barrelled through a stop sign and into the path of the junior hockey team’s bus at a rural Saskatchewan intersection last April.
Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured.
The Crown wanted the 30-year-old Sidhu to be sent to prison for 10 years, while the defence said other cases suggested a range of 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years.
The judge read aloud each victim’s name and says the impact statements from families were staggering, adding the hockey players who died were gifted athletes, while others on the bus were dreaming about families or had already started them.
Before the sentencing began, Sidhu hugged his supporters before sitting down beside his lawyer.
The Canadian Press
