The second court appearance for the semi driver facing 29 charges of dangerous driving in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, was adjourned in a Saskatchewan courtroom Tuesday morning.
Appearing by phone, Jaskirat Sidhu‘s lawyer said he has received some “pretty detailed” particulars and requested more time to review the details.
Sidhu, 29, is charged with 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
He was not present at Tuesday’s hearing and his case is scheduled to be back in Melfort provincial court on Oct. 2.
FULL COVERAGE: Humboldt Broncos tragedy
The Broncos were heading to Nipawin for a playoff game on April 6 when the team’s bus and a semi collided at an intersection in eastern Saskatchewan.
Sixteen people died in the crash, including players and staff members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team. Another 13 people were injured.
Sidhu was arrested on July 6 at his Calgary home following an extensive RCMP investigation.
He made his first appearance in Melfort provincial court on July 10 and was released on $1,000 bail with a number of conditions. He must reside at his Calgary home, follow a curfew, is under a driving ban, and must surrender his passport.
Police have said little about why the charges were laid but have said the semi was in the intersection at the time of the crash.
WATCH BELOW: Semi driver charged in Humboldt Broncos bus crash appears in court
There was “evidence that motor vehicle was being operated in a way that was dangerous to the public,” RCMP Supt. Derek Williams, the officer in charge of the major crimes unit, said on July 6 when the charges were announced.
“There are a number of elements that make up the offence of dangerous driving, including the marked departure from the standard of care expected from a driving, in this case, a commercial truck driver,” he explained.
WATCH BELOW: RCMP explain charges laid against Jaskirat Sidhu
RCMP said they researched every aspect of the crash including speed and position of the vehicles, road and weather conditions, the point of impact and witness interviews.
The maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death is 14 years, and up to 10 years for a dangerous driving causing bodily harm conviction.
Sidhu, who was not injured in the crash, was briefly detained by police but released soon afterwards.
He was driving for Adesh Deol trucking company, and the director of the trucking company, Sukmander Singh, said in April that Sidhu had started working for him about a month before the crash.
Singh told Global News at the time that the driver had obtained his license about a year ago and had been on the road for two weeks, after undergoing two weeks of training.
Singh also said the driver had been going to counselling services after the crash but didn’t give the driver’s name.
As of yet, no charges have been laid against the trucking company.
The fatal crash rocked the hockey community in Canada and a worldwide fundraiser for the team raised millions of dollars in just days.
A Saskatchewan court recently approved a $50,000 interim payment from the fundraiser to each of the families and the victims to cover travel and other costs.
— With files from Ryan Kessler, Adam MacVicar, Nancy Hixt and Rebecca Joseph
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