MELFORT, SASK.—Jaskirat Singh Sidhu has been handed the longest sentence for dangerous driving in Canadian history, after his semi truck ran through a stop sign on a Saskatchewan highway and crashing into the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team in April, killing 16 and injuring 13 others.“No sentence I will impose will make the victims or the families whole again,” said Justice Inez Cardinal, before delivering her sentence in Melfort, Sask. Friday.Cardinal sentenced Sidhu to eight years in prison for each count of dangerous driving causing death, and five years for each of the 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. However, the sentences will be served concurrently, meaning he’ll spend eight years behind bars. As Sidhu is a permanent resident and not a Canadian citizen, he will also face deportation.Cardinal said a lengthy prison sentence was necessary to send a message of deterrence to Sidhu and other drivers.“We must stop this carnage on our highways,” Cardinal said.Sidhu pleaded guilty to all 29 charges in January, and during his sentencing hearings in at the end of January turned to face family and friends of the victims gathered in the gallery to apologize.Cardinal said these were significant mitigating factors that served to spare Sidhu from serving the maximum sentences allowable under the law, which at the time of the collision was 14 years for dangerous driving causing death and 10 years for dangerous driving causing bodily harm, but the gravity of the harm caused by Sidhu’s actions could not be ignored.“Seconds matter, attention to the roads matter,” Cardinal said.Before her sentence, Cardinal summarized the 90 victim impact statements that had been read and filed by the loved ones of those killed and injured in the crash, “I want all of the victims and their families to know their voices have been heard,” Cardinal said.Audible sobs could be heard from the gallery ...
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