Humboldt Truck Driver Granted Day Parole

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu is one step closer to being a free man. The 33-year-old trucker at fault for the horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash of early-Aril 2018 was granted six months of parole by the Parole Board of Canada following a seven-hour hearing at the Bowden Institution on Wednesday. That's not it, however. Sidhu will be given full parole following this next half-year if all stipulations to his parole are followed, including that of remaining out of contact with the families of the victims. He had requested to be released from his sentence in Bowden, AB.'s penitentiary due to the potential of deportation back to India. Back in March, the Canadian Border Service Agency sent Sidhu to the Immigration and Refugee Board to which a decision on his status has yet be determined. Sidhu's lawyer will continue to fight against deportation for his client in Canadian federal court. Those gathered at the court in front of the two-member panel included many parents and family members of the 16 deceased in the wreck. "I want you to know I have not stopped crying for my baby boy," said mother Andrea Joseph. "I have not stopped whispering good night to my baby boy and hope he will come and visit me in my dreams. Please do not grant this man day parole. It would crumple my heart, my family's hearts and Canadians' hearts who have children and want their children protected." Another parent, Russ Herold, also left his mark on Sidhu when provided with the opportunity. "The thought of Mr. Sidhu out on parole this soon is disappointing and further hurts our healing process. My son had no choice," Herold said. "He was an innocent passenger on a bus, going to his hockey game, minding his own business." Following four victim impact statements Sidhu testified and pleaded his heartfelt apologies to the families in attendance. "I'm sorry for the pain that I have caused. I'm sorry for destroying their lives. I'm sorry for not being careful that day," he said. "I want the parole board to know that what I did was very horrible, destroyed so many families' lives. I deeply hurt every one of them. I destroyed their dreams, destroyed their future and now I have given them unbearable pain." After initially being sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving resulting in death x16 and injury x13, Sidhu has been offered parole after just three years behind bars.