A Canadian truck driver charged in connection to a horrific bus crash that left 16 people dead was allowed to walk free Tuesday — on $1,000 bail.
“I’d prefer he be kept in jail, but we don’t have a choice in that,” said Russell Herold, whose son Adam died in the crash. “The process is what it is.”
Speaking to CBC News on Tuesday after the bail hearing, Herold was joined by other grief-stricken parents and family members who also lost loved ones in the April 6 bus accident in Melfort, Saskatchewan.
Many of the deceased were members of the local Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, whose players range in age from 16 to 21.
In spite of this, a judge released Jaskirat Singh Sidhu — the 29-year-old truck driver — on bail thanks to an agreement between his defense lawyers and prosecutors. The young man is accused of causing the fatal bus crash by failing to stop at a flashing stop sign.
“This prevents unnecessary delays in court proceedings,” explained defense attorney and legal expert Brian Pfefferle.
While defendants are typically granted bail in Canada, a judge can deny their release depending on the circumstances surrounding their case.
“At least they put some conditions on it,” Herold said, in reference to Sidhu’s release. “The bail seems low, but I guess if you go by the law — he doesn’t have a prior record and hasn’t tried to flee so I guess this is common.”
Sidhu may be a free man at the moment, but he must abide by a number of rules while his case is being heard. His bail conditions require that he stay at his home in Calgary and follow a curfew. He must also surrender his passport — and his banned from driving.
The victims’ families believe Sidhu was not properly trained to drive, and they’re now suing both him and the trucking company he worked for. He is due back in court on Aug. 21.