The trucking company that contracted the semi-truck involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash that killed 15 people and injured 14 others has been suspended pending an investigation.

Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. was suspended indefinitely by the Alberta Transportation ministry pending an investigation, provincial Transport Minister Brian Mason confirmed to Global News.

WATCH: Transport Minister Brian Mason confirms suspension of Calgary company in relation to Humboldt Broncos bus crash

Officials say this is standard procedure any time a commercial carrier is involved in a significant or high-profile incident that poses a high risk to the public.

It is still too early to speculate on the cause of the collision, a government source said. RCMP officials wouldn’t comment on the investigation as it was still underway.

The Alberta Transportation ministry will assist the Government of Saskatchewan in the investigation into the crash and will conduct its own investigation into the company, Alberta Ministry of Transport press secretary John Archer explained.

READ MORE: Investigating Humboldt Broncos crash likely to be a long process, experts say

Archer initially said the company had been inspected as recently as February, when it passed inspection in the Northwest Territories. An Alberta government spokesperson later corrected the number of inspections undergone by Adesh Deol Trucking to say it had only one in the Northwest Territories in February. Alberta Transportation communications director Graeme McElheran said Thursday that inspection resulted in an hours-of-service infraction.

A suspension for the company means the company’s entire fleet is grounded, regardless of where the trucks are. Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. had two trucks in operation before the crash.

“The suspension is a direct result of the collision and the fact the company still has another vehicle in operation,” a government source told Global News.

WATCH: Humboldt Broncos fatal bus crash having impact on truck drivers across Saskatchewan

Doug Wakabayashi, spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, said he’s not aware of a suspension involving Charlie’s Charters, the company that owned the hockey team’s bus.

He said the RCMP will be leading the investigation and the ministry’s commercial vehicle enforcement branch will be providing technical assistance.

Mason explained the Alberta government investigation will include looking at the company records and logs.

“We’ll look at drivers logs, we’ll look at the record of the vehicle and that sort of thing, and see if we can determine whether or not they’ve been compliant,” he told Global News.

“We’ve looked at their record, it looks like they’ve been a compliant company up until this point, but we don’t want to pre-judge any investigation by the RCMP or by ourselves.”

FULL COVERAGE: Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy

Sukhmander Singh is the sole owner of trucking company, according to Alberta government corporate records.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was unhurt and was given mental-health assistance after the collision.

He was briefly detained and questioned by RCMP but released shortly thereafter.

Global News spoke with a man who identified himself as a relative of the truck company owner at the trucking company’s address Tuesday afternoon.

“He’s very emotional,” Jeet Singh said. “He’s not sure what happened, right, because it’s a big accident.”

Singh said he’s at home with his family now.

Premier Tech, a horticulture and agriculture company based in Quebec, confirmed to Global News that the truck involved in the crash had been hired to haul peat moss from the company’s facilities in Saskatchewan and Alberta, according to spokesman Marc Beland.

Beland said Premier Tech relies on contracting out its trucking but declined to identify company or driver involved.

Support for truck driver

The identity of the driver of the semi-truck has not been released, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of Canadians from sharing a letter of support for him.

“As we all sit back and contemplate all that has occurred since the collision and the massive emotional impact of the death of 15 people, please know that some of us are thinking of you as well,” a Reddit post by user bonneapatate reads. “We do know you didn’t set out to end 15 lives as you turned the ignition that fateful day.”

WATCH: Thousands of Canadians share letter of support for unidentified truck driver after deadly Humboldt crash

The post has more than 10,000 upvotes and a Facebook post had over 130,000 shares as of Tuesday morning.

*with files from Andrew Russell and Heide Pearson </s> Alberta has suspended Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. as standard procedure following the tragedy

Emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal crash outside of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Canada, Saturday, April, 7, 2018. A bus, top, en route to Nipawin carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team crashed into a truck Friday night, killing 14 and sending over a dozen more to the hospital.(Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP)

The company that contracted out the tractor-trailer that hit a Humboldt Broncos bus in Saskatchewan has been suspended from operations, following standard procedure.

The Alberta transportation ministry confirmed Tuesday that Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., based in Calgary, has been suspended as a result of the crash that killed 15 people and sent 14 others to hospital last Friday.

According to ministry spokesperson John Archer, the company’s fitness safety certificate was suspended, grounding its only other truck.

Archer said this is standard procedure following a collision, and that Alberta will assist Saskatchewan in its investigation.

The company, which began operating in Alberta last fall, had zero safety violations at the time of the crash.

It’s expected to take investigators months to determined what caused the crash that claimed so many lives and devastated not only the town of Humboldt, with fewer than 6,000 people, but the entire country.

READ: ‘Heroes to many:’ Support offered to Humboldt students after bus crash kills 15

The Broncos hockey team was travelling along Highway 35 to a playoff game in Nipawin when the crash occurred.

Darren Opp, president of the Nipawin Hawks, said a semi T-boned the players’ bus.

The truck driver was briefly detained and let go at the time. His name has not been released. Saskatchewan police say he is receiving mental health assistance

A post from a user on the website Reddit that supports the driver is gaining popularity, having been viewed more than 10,000 times as of Tuesday afternoon.

“As we all sit back and contemplate all that has occurred since the collision and the massive emotional impact of the death of 15 people, please know that some of us are thinking of you as well,” the user writes.

“Although the exact cause of the collision and the events prior remain unknown to us, we do know you didn’t set out to end 15 lives as you turned the ignition that fateful day.

“You survived. You will need help to overcome this tragic incident that is also taking a significant toll on your and your family’s wellbeing. I sincerely hope that you will be able to heal, and that other Canadians wish the same.”

The more than 1,100 comments on the post were largely in support of the driver.

“This is the most Canadian post I’ve ever read. Much respect from USA. We could learn a lesson in humility and manners from y’all,” read one comment.

An online fundraiser for the team had reached nearly $7.7 million as of Tuesday afternoon.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. </s> Alberta has suspended Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. as standard procedure following the tragedy

Emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal crash outside of Tisdale, Saskatchewan, Canada, Saturday, April, 7, 2018. A bus, top, en route to Nipawin carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team crashed into a truck Friday night, killing 14 and sending over a dozen more to the hospital.(Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP)

The company that contracted out the tractor-trailer that hit a Humboldt Broncos bus in Saskatchewan has been suspended from operations, following standard procedure.

The Alberta transportation ministry confirmed Tuesday that Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., based in Calgary, has been suspended as a result of the crash that killed 15 people and sent 14 others to hospital last Friday.

According to ministry spokesperson John Archer, the company’s fitness safety certificate was suspended, grounding its only other truck.

Archer said this is standard procedure following a collision, and that Alberta will assist Saskatchewan in its investigation.

The company, which began operating in Alberta last fall, had zero safety violations at the time of the crash.

It’s expected to take investigators months to determined what caused the crash that claimed so many lives and devastated not only the town of Humboldt, with fewer than 6,000 people, but the entire country.

READ: ‘Heroes to many:’ Support offered to Humboldt students after bus crash kills 15

The Broncos hockey team was travelling along Highway 35 to a playoff game in Nipawin when the crash occurred.

Darren Opp, president of the Nipawin Hawks, said a semi T-boned the players’ bus.

The truck driver was briefly detained and let go at the time. His name has not been released. Saskatchewan police say he is receiving mental health assistance

A post from a user on the website Reddit that supports the driver is gaining popularity, having been viewed more than 10,000 times as of Tuesday afternoon.

“As we all sit back and contemplate all that has occurred since the collision and the massive emotional impact of the death of 15 people, please know that some of us are thinking of you as well,” the user writes.

“Although the exact cause of the collision and the events prior remain unknown to us, we do know you didn’t set out to end 15 lives as you turned the ignition that fateful day.

“You survived. You will need help to overcome this tragic incident that is also taking a significant toll on your and your family’s wellbeing. I sincerely hope that you will be able to heal, and that other Canadians wish the same.”

The more than 1,100 comments on the post were largely in support of the driver.

“This is the most Canadian post I’ve ever read. Much respect from USA. We could learn a lesson in humility and manners from y’all,” read one comment.

A Facebook post quoting the Reddit post said that the truck driver had read the note.

An online fundraiser for the team had reached nearly $7.7 million as of Tuesday afternoon.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. </s> On April 6, the world was rocked by a collision between a semi-trailer truck and the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team -- a crash in snowy, western Canada that left 16 dead and at least another dozen injured.

International tributes, including one at the NHL's offseason awards show, ensued. Everyone from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump to Pope Francis and Queen Elizabeth II paid their respects to the victims, their families and the survivors of the accident, which occurred in Saskatchewan on the Broncos' way to a playoff game.

Now, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have made an arrest in the case, charging the driver of the semi-trailer truck with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and 13 additional counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, was the driver during the collision, according to the Toronto Sun:

He was taken into custody immediately after the collision and released later that evening.The driver was working for Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., a two-truck company operating out of a home in northeast Calgary. The company said the driver of its oversize tractor-trailer only had a year's experience as a commercial driver and just over two weeks of training from his new employer.

Sidhu will remain in custody until his first court appearance next week. </s> The driver of the semi truck that collided with the Humbolt Broncos team bus on April 6th been arrested and charged.

RCMP announced today that the driver, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, has been charged with 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury.

He was briefly detained immediately following the crash, but was released shortly after, uninjured.

Sidhu was working for Calgary- based Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd., and was heading west bound on highway 335 north of Tisdale, Saskatchewan when he collided with the team bus that was travelling northbound on highway 35, on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin, Saskatchewan.

RCMP say the bus had the right of way, and the semi was in the intersection when the bus crashed into it.

The tragic crash killed ten members of the Broncos team, with six other deaths including the the team's head and assistant coaches, the bus driver, two employees of Humbolt's FM radio station, and an athletic therapist.

We'll continue to update as the story progresses.

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at [email protected] </s> The driver of a bus that collided with a lorry in a crash that killed 16 people involved with a Canadian youth hockey team has been arrested on criminal charges.

The driver of a bus that collided with a lorry in a crash that killed 16 people involved with a Canadian youth hockey team has been arrested on criminal charges.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, was detained at his home in Calgary, Alberta, and would appear in a provincial court in Saskatchewan next week.

He faces 16 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and 13 counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily injury.

The crash occurred in Saskatchewan on April 6 as the bus was taking the Humboldt Broncos hockey team to a play-off game.

The driver of the cargo truck that collided with the bus was initially detained, but later released and provided with mental health assistance.

The truck driver was not hurt. </s> MELFORT, Sask. – Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the semi-truck involved in the Humboldt Broncos bus collision, today plead guilty to all 29 charges against him.

Sidhu, 29, was charged with 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Media reports indicate it could take up to five days before sentencing is announced, and the case was adjourned until Jan. 28.

Following the release of a study by McElhanney Consulting Services, which recommended 13 safety enhancements to the intersection where the incident took place, the judge for the case granted more time for Sidhu and his lawyer to enter a plea.

Sidhu, a Calgary resident, was arrested July 6 at his home. He was a driver for Calgary carrier Adesh Deol Trucking, of which the owner, Sukhmander Singh, faces eight charges of not complying with federal and provincial safety regulations.

Sidhu faces a maximum sentence of 14 years for dangerous driving causing death, and a max of 10 years for dangerous driving causing bodily harm. </s> The driver of the tractor-trailer that collided with the Humboldt Broncos team bus has been arrested and charged, RCMP announced on Friday.

Truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, 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.

He was arrested at his home in Calgary on Friday morning and remanded into custody. Sidhu is set to appear in court in Saskatchewan next week, but no date has been set.

Convictions for dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death can result in a sentence of up to 14 years in prison, while a conviction for injuring someone could land someone in prison for 10 years.

RCMP Superintendent Derek Williams explains the difference between a dangerous driving charge and driving without due care and attention charge. 0:36

"Whatever happened, happened for a reason," said crash survivor and former Bronco Ryan Straschnitzki. "His intention wasn't to go out and hurt us that day, but that mistake is obviously going to change his life and changed all our lives."

The Humboldt Broncos released a statement Friday afternoon 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."

Sidhu was working for the Calgary-based Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. when the crash occurred at a rural intersection.

He was driving west on Highway 335 in a semi as a Charlie's Charters bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos was northbound on Highway 35 to an SJHL playoff game in Nipawin, Sask.

The team bus was travelling northbound on Highway 35. The semi-trailer was coming from the east on Highway 335. The semi had a stop sign and the bus did not. (CBC )

The bus had the right of way. There is a flashing stop sign for drivers on Highway 335 at Highway 35 between Nipawin and Tisdale. The RCMP said the semi was in the intersection when the vehicles collided.

Sidhu was briefly detained after the April 6 collision then released. He was uninjured.

"I know it has been difficult for many to await the outcome of this police investigation," said Curtis Zablocki, Saskatchewan RCMP commanding officer and assistant commissioner, noting the three-month timeline. "The time it took to do this work — this important work — was necessary."

The Canadian Trucking Alliance said in a statement Friday that once the facts of the case are known, it will work with the provinces and the federal government to improve commercial vehicle safety.

The statement also said the CTA would like to see the results of the investigation into the trucking company that employed Sidhu.

What we know about Sidhu

Sidhu worked for the trucking company for a month prior to the fatal collision, according to owner Sukhmander Singh. Singh said Sidhu trained with him for two weeks and was driving on his own for two more weeks before the crash.

Although Sidhu was not injured in the crash, he did receive trauma counselling in the aftermath.

Sidhu was a bachelor of commerce student at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, from 2008 until 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He made his way to Calgary on a student visa in 2013 to study for a diploma in business administration at Bow Valley College from 2014 until 2015.

Sidhu's lawyer declined to comment on his client.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Humboldt Broncos were heading to Nipawin for a playoff game when the collision occurred.

Ten Broncos players died. The six other deaths included the bus driver, an athletic therapist, the head coach, assistant coach and two employees of Humboldt's FM radio station.

Ten members of the Broncos died in the crash. The six other deaths included the bus driver, an athletic therapist, the head coach, assistant coach and two employees of Humboldt's FM radio station. (CBC)

Dangerous driving vs. criminal negligence

Saskatoon-based criminal defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle said dangerous driving is just one of the possible charges that can be laid after serious collisions in Saskatchewan.

Criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm would be among the other possible charges.

Pfefferle said the RCMP's decision to charge Sidhu with dangerous driving suggests the Crown will argue that the driver's behaviour was more than negligence or a momentary lapse of judgment.

In order to secure a conviction, Pfefferle said the Crown will have to prove that the accused was driving in "a manner that constituted a marked departure from the standard of a reasonably prudent driver in the circumstances."

"There's lots of accidents that happen on Saskatchewan roadways where these types of charges aren't laid," said Pfefferle.

"So I'm slightly surprised, I guess, by the fact that they've laid the charge but they obviously know information that the rest of the public doesn't know."

The stop sign

Police have not disclosed the findings of their investigation into how the crash happened.

Brad Muir, an accident investigator with the Collision Reconstruction Group in Ajax, Ont., said he is pleased to see charges laid.

"I think we need to look and dig a little further into the facts of not just going through a stop sign, but what was the speed?" he said.

"We've got obviously a heavily laden commercial vehicle."

Muir believes professional truck drivers need to be held to a high standard.

"I think that's going to go into the decision-making of laying that higher level criminal charge," he said. </s> The Alberta semi driver charged in the Humboldt Broncos’ bus collision last April has pleaded guilty to all 29 charges stemming from the highway tragedy.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, 29, was originally scheduled to appear Tuesday in Melfort provincial court for defence election. Instead, he entered guilty pleas to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured.
The Alberta Transportation Ministry suspends operations by Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd pending investigation into a crash with a bus which killed 15 people.