Indian-origin truck driver arrested for crash that killed 16 people in Canada

Press Trust of India  |  Ottawa 

A 29-year-old Indian-origin truck in has been arrested in connection with a bus crash that killed 16 people, mostly members of a junior hockey team, one of the worst disasters in the country's sporting community.

Sidhu is facing 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of motor vehicle causing bodily injury, the reported.

He is set to appear in a court in province next week, but no date has been set. Dangerous driving causing death carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in Sidhu's declined to comment on his client.

Sixteen people, including 10 players, were killed and 13 injured when the Broncos hockey team was on its way to a playoff game at the time of the collision with the tractor-trailer on April 6. Sidhu was not injured, but he did receive trauma counselling in the aftermath.

Support staff and the team's coaches were also among the causalities. A number of players who survived the crash are still recovering from significant injuries. Police have not disclosed the findings of their investigation into how the crash happened.

Sidhu was a bachelor of commerce student at in Chandigarh from 2008 until 2012, the said, citing his profile. He was working for the Calgary-based at the time of the crash.

The said in a statement on Friday that it would like to see the results of the investigation into the trucking company that employed Sidhu

The Broncos released a statement thanking the RCMP and its investigators for their work.

"Our organization has faith in the justice system and we will be watching closely as this court process plays out," the statement read. "Our primary focus continues to be supporting the survivors, families and others that were directly impacted by the tragedy on April 6.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sun, July 08 2018. 21:15 IST