The semi-truck driver responsible for the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash is fighting deportation.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu ran through a stop sign near Tisdale, Sask. and collided with the Humboldt Bronco’s team bus in 2018.
Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured.
In court, Sidhu admitted he failed to stop at the intersection and pleaded guilty to a total of 29 counts of dangerous driving.
The crash happened about five years after Singh moved to Canada from India.
Under federal law, permanent residents, such as Sidhu, cannot remain in the country if they commit a crime for which the maximum sentence is at least 10 years or their prison sentence is more than six months.
If Sidhu’s sentence was less than six months, he’d have the right to appeal.
Still, Michael Greene, Sidhu’s lawyer, is working on convincing the Canada Border Services Agency why Sidhu should stay in the country.
“I think if people get to know more about Mr. Sidhu they’re realize he’s not a danger to our society. He made a momentary mistake, that any one of us could have made.”
Greene said Sidhu took a job as a truck driver to help fund his wife’s education to become a dental hygienist.
Immigration lawyer Chris Veeman, who’s not involved in the case, said it’s likely Sidhu will get deported.
“It’s pretty black and white … It would be pretty hard for them not to move ahead in his particular case,” Veeman said.
“There’s very limited options to try and stop the removal.”
Veeman said the Canada Boarder Services Agency may consider the following reasons for not moving forward with deportation:
If the resident moved to Canada when they were an infant
Humanitarian factors, such as if the resident has kids in Canada
If it’s the resident’s first offence and they can prove they’re unlikely to reoffend
Veeman said Sidhu’s case is unique because of the of the amount of people impacted.
“He’s being focused on because of the magnitude of the consequences, as opposed to how bad his actions were,” Veeman said, referencing Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe’s 1997 crash — where he failed to stop at a rural intersection and killed a 39-year-old mother.
Moe was given a ticket for driving without due care and attention.
Sidhu is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence.
If Sidhu does get deported it would be after serving his sentence.
