The families of those killed in the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash share their thoughts a day after the truck driver responsible for the crash was granted a one-day parole.
On Wednesday, the Parole Board of Canada granted Jaskirat Singh Sidhu a one-day parole for six months. Sidhu will be granted full parole after those six months if he abides by all conditions, including not contacting the victims’ families.
Read more: Truck driver in fatal Humboldt Broncos crash gets 6-month probation
Sidhu was jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm in the collision on April 6, 2018, which killed 16 people and injured 13.
Russell Herold, father of 16-year-old Adam Herold, who was killed in the crash, was upset by the parole board’s decision.
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“I would never trust him to drive a car again, to be honest with you,” Herold told Global News.
“Technically he’s still in prison, but I guess my hope is the day he gets full parole, immigration is waiting to put him on a plane and he’s gone, forever out of our sight, so (we) can let’s start forgetting about him.”
Sidhu is awaiting a decision from the Immigration Board of Canada on whether or not he will be deported. Sidhu was a permanent resident at the time of the accident.
In Canada, a criminal conviction that includes a sentence of more than six months makes a permanent resident ineligible to stay in the country.
In June, Sidhu’s immigration lawyer, Michael Green, said he hoped to have a chance to argue against his client’s possible deportation in the Federal Court of Canada.
Read more: ‘Permanent exile’: Lawyer for truck driver in Broncos crash hopes to challenge deportation
“It’s just going to keep rolling if he stays in Canada.” If they deport him, he will be anonymous, you will never find him there again, and that will be the end of his story. He is gone. And maybe that will be the end of the story for the rest of us,” Herold said.
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The parole board panel grilled Sidhu for three hours during Wednesday’s hearing, asking him about inconsistencies in some of his initial statements, including telling his boss he was distracted by a flapping tarp and then to explain to the RCMP that he had the sun in his eyes.
Other families are also reacting to the parole board’s decision.
Scott Thomas, Evan Thomas’ father, said his family was aware of the decision.
“We’ve said since the day Mr. Sidhu pleaded guilty in Melfort that we don’t care if his sentence is one day, 10 years or the rest of his life. We still feel that way,” Thomas said.
“Our family has moved forward in our efforts to remember and celebrate the life and legacy of our son and brother Evan. The situation surrounding Mr. Sidhu’s punishment and release is no longer an issue our family is concerned with.”
“We would like to express our love to the Broncos family and wish them the best in their grieving journey.”
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Toby Bullett, Logan Bullett’s father, said their family did not want Sidhu to receive a day or full parole and were disappointed with the decision.
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“We have chosen to focus our energies on passionately supporting organ transplant groups in Canada and the US to move the needle to increase organ and tissue donor registries, research and … just helping others as much as we can ” said Boule.
“We have no feelings for Mr. Sidhu and what he wants and feels he deserves. We want our Logan back, but we can’t have this. We will continue to focus our energy on things we can control, not things we can’t.”
Global News reached out to other families who either did not respond or declined to comment.
Global News contacted Sidhu’s lawyer, who did not respond before publication.
— with files from The Canadian Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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