Poll for Humboldt truck driver

[stuphoto]

^^^When I first started with heavy trucks and I was being used and abused by opportunistic employers....yes, maybe even more.

thank you for your honesty

Like Old Trucker I have worked for a couple lousy companies telling us to all lie on our logs and even avoid the scales.
I think I have only worked for one company that didn't ask me to bend the truth a little, and it is a division of the Castlegar professional driving school. Since I lived 3 minutes from their shop they asked me to stand by whenever someone was cutting it close.

I still voted to send him back to India but out of principle
I know it wasn't intentional. I know he will suffer from the memory for the rest of his life. If I had a family member on the bus I would have even forgiven him by now.
However I also believe others may use the case as precedent in court if we don't send him packing.

What I am now starting to wonder about is what will he be returning to in India.
Will it be a normal lifestyle or will he be subject to cruel and inhumane punishment?
The answer could change my vote.

[Gilchy]

*removed*

[the truth]

*removed*

[Fancy]

Seems like the general consensus is the driver IS remorseful and why there is support to have him stay in Canada.

[the truth]

*removed*

[Fancy]

*removed*

[Veovis]

Seems like the general consensus is the driver IS remorseful and why there is support to have him stay in Canada.

I guess I'm just cold hearted, but I feel when you are given a new chance in a great country like Canada and you use that chance to mow down a bus load of kids, you don't deserve a second chance.

I can even feel sympathy for him, but I don't think staying is fair.

[oldtrucker]

One parent has spoken:

A former truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash has submitted paperwork with reasons why he should not be sent back to India when he gets out of prison.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu is now waiting for the Canada Border Services Agency to write a report that will recommend whether he be allowed to stay in his adopted country or be deported.

A grieving father of one of the hockey players killed will be waiting, too. Scott Thomas said he aches everyday for his 18-year-old son, Evan, but submitted a letter in support of Sidhu.

“I know for a fact that he’ll never drive a semi again. I know for a fact that if he could take back what happened that day he would in a heartbeat. He would trade places with any one of those boys," said Thomas.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/32 ... ion#322444

Scott Thomas is a giant.
He knows the guy didn't set out to hurt anyone, and if the father of one of the dead boys can find it within himself to want the truck driver to stay, maybe Canadians can follow his example?

[the truth]

and in todays news, families want this killer gone https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/families-o ... -1.5276877

[my5cents]

I guess I'm just cold hearted, but I feel when you are given a new chance in a great country like Canada and you use that chance to mow down a bus load of kids, you don't deserve a second chance.

I can even feel sympathy for him, but I don't think staying is fair.

I don't think you are "cold hearted" at all. I'm amazed that some are saying "well he didn't mean to do it".

Others mention "well I drove straight through a stop sign, luckily nobody was crossing and nothing happened.

Well there are two elements at an event. What and how something was done and what the results were.

If I have a dispute with you and I get out a gun and shoot you. The result dictates what I'm charged with. If I killed you, I'm likely to be charged with murder, well until the bleeding heart/lazy crown counsel pleads it down to manslaughter. If I don't kill you I don't get charged with murder, perhaps attempted murder, but not murder. Same gun same shot, just a different outcome.

Have some forgotten that 16 people were killed and thirteen were injured some extremely seriously with life changing results.

The configuration of the Hwy 355 that runs East and West has several warnings that an intersection is approaching. A "yellow suggested speed of 65" a "stop sign ahead sign", the stop sign and a flashing red light with the stop sign.

The driver, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu plead guilty to 16 counts of Dangerous Driving Causing Death and 13 count of Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm. On March 22, 2019 Sidhu plead guilty to all counts and was given a sentence of 8 years.

So with our lenient system he can apply for full parole once he's served 1/3 of his sentence. So this November. 32 months, so 2 months for each death and a mulligan for 13 injured.

Sometimes people have to be held accountable. No he didn't MEAN to kill 16 and injure 13. He did drive when too tired, too inexperienced,,, and yes the owner of the trucking company should have an adjoining cell, and be on the plane in the next seat going back to India.

Aren't we diminishing the value of the lives lost if we allow Sidhu to serve 2 months for each death and then allow him to remain in Canada ? Maybe we need him to spread the word that Canada won't tolerate such behavior and there are consequences, and not just 2 months for each life.

[Fancy]

Have some forgotten that 16 people were killed and thirteen were injured some extremely seriously with life changing results.

No, and neither has the father of one of those children that is supporting the decision for the driver to stay.

[oldtrucker]

Aren't we diminishing the value of the lives lost if we allow Sidhu to serve 2 months for each death and then allow him to remain in Canada ? Maybe we need him to spread the word that Canada won't tolerate such behavior and there are consequences, and not just 2 months for each life.

This isn't all his fault though. The driver was the victim of a failed system. This is mostly the federal govts fault. They wanted the industry to self regulate to take accountability away from govt. The trucking industry is a leaderless bleepshow across all of Canada.

[the truth]

ya and the other 15 families want him this killer gone

[Fancy]

ya and the other 15 families want him this killer gone

Not substantiated.

[my5cents]

To those who think because Sidhu didn't get up that morning and say "I'm going to kill a slew of people today", that we should not punish him by applying Canadian law to deport him ? Blame, who/what ? "the system" ?, "the trucking industry" ?, "the designer of the intersection", ? etc etc.

At what point do we hold someone accountable ? Over 24 deaths ? Over 100 deaths ? If causing this type of horrific pain, suffering and death, don't qualify for deportation, what do we do with the immigrant that robs a bank, doesn't hurt anyone ?

We welcome people from all over the world to live and thrive in Canada. Every person living in Canada has a responsibility to obey Canadian laws. If one doesn't, one risks the application of sanctions. One of those sanctions applies to people who have immigrated to Canada who then commit a "serious crime".

A "serious crime" is defined as one where the sentence for the crime CAN be 10 years or more or the person is sentence to more than 6 months.

In this case Sidhu plead guilty to 16 counts of Dangerous Driving Causing Death, each count has a maximum sentence of 14 years. Plus he plead guilty to 13 counts of Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm that has a sentence of not more than 10 years. So 29 counts that qualify for him to be deported.

Some people come from countries where laws are weak (yes even weaker than, apparently our sentencing laws). In some countries, liability is determined by who can provide the highest number of fake witnesses to an event. Sentencing is dependent on who the accused or their family knows, or their status.

Canada is supposed to rely on the "rule of law".

Jurisdictions where getting a driver's license in their home country is like obtaining a fishing license in ours (you don't take a fishing test to get a fishing license). If there is a regulatory problem, that just means you didn't bribe the correct person or didn't pay a large enough bribe.

For some the goal is to circumvent the rules, not obey them. Granted it might be difficult to understand the difference in the systems. The message should be, "in Canada the law is fair to all, but the law will be applied".

Applying the letter of the law to someone who has broken the law isn't "being harsh", it's the law.

The reason we have rules is so people think before they do something that could harm others. ...and no we don't have laws that should only be applied when someone intentionally hurts someone. The speeder doesn't roar down the highway, thinking "I'm going to kill someone today, that will be fun" they are negligent, they haven't linked their actions with possible consequences. Their negligence has consequences that increase with the results of the negligence.

If we don't uphold laws and enforce sanctions on law breakers when the law breaker "didn't really mean to do it", "is really really sorry", doesn't that erode of rule of law ?

Do we want to set the tone that if you break laws in Canada, "all you have to do is say your sorry, they'll give you a weak sentence and you can get on with life", or do we make an example of law breakers who cause extreme harm, and even though they say they were sorry and they didn't intentionally cause the mayhem, they still have to pay.

If we only punished people who weren't sorry or who intentionally caused injuries and damages what message would we be sending ?

In BC we had the 24 hours driving suspension, the police were given a "tool" where they could save time, apprehend a drinking driver, basically take their license for 24 hours and the next day they were good to go. No harm no foul.

What happened ? The general belief was "if I'm caught drinking and driving, I've got a good chance that they'll just take my license for 24 hours and nothing else will happen. The drinking driving numbers continued to climb and climb and climb.

Forgiving didn't work !

It's extremely rare to see an accused in court before the judge who wasn't, "very sorry", "not their fault because of [fill in some systemic problem]", "was a bad person but has now found Jesus Christ", "is turning their life around", "just started counseling/training/AA/back with family/drug rehab,,,,,,,,"

Daily we hear of the thug, who beat up a senior, was released the next morning and then arrested the next day doing the same thing.

Ya, Sidhu is sorry, hell he only killed 16, maimed 13, but, hey,,, he's sorry.

How about someone out there who's got a trucking firm, he deserves a job driving a truck with your family name on it... come on,,,, he's sorry.

With respect to family of the dead who say the government should be lenient ? They don't have the right. This is a Canadian problem, they don't have the right to waive our Canadian laws.