Bus Crash Of Junior Hockey Players in Saskatchewan - Fatalities Confirmed [in 2018]

Gorsnak · April 20, 2018, 9:49pm

If you’re at the stop sign, the trees do not impinge on your visibility to the south at all. Cite: saw a video taken by a guy driving a rig down that road posted on Facebook. Also, you can see perfectly well in that aerial photo that you’re well past the line of trees when you are at the stop sign. I can’t fathom how the wreckage ends up where it is if the truck isn’t moving a lot faster than it would be if it was pulling out from a complete stop. However, I will defer to the actual investigators when they release their findings.

ssgenius · April 20, 2018, 10:46pm

wolfpup:

That’s absolutely amazing, considering that the initial goal was something like $200,000. It just kept increasing.

Here’s a minor update on the investigation. Not much news yet except that it will still take a while to complete, and police are not releasing any interim information. One piece of news is that the truck driver was new on the job, and had only been driving for the company for two weeks. The article also contains the most informative annotated aerial picture of the site that I have yet seen.

It was speculated earlier in this thread that the truck probably ran the stop sign, and its momentum is what carried all the wreckage into the northwest corner of the intersection. That was my theory, too, but this may not be so clear if the truck driver has not yet been charged, and police are not saying what he told them. I’m wondering if the truck may have stopped at the sign, then proceeded because the stand of trees obscured the driver’s view of the bus. Perhaps the bus, swerving or even out of control, hit the slow-moving truck west of the intersection, which would have knocked everything into the northwest corner just as we see.

This same article says that the RCMP have got a similar bus and B-train truck and are going to use them to reconstruction the accident.

Then the article says (except for the collision aspect).

I know its dangerous and a bit morbid but the 10 year old part of me would like to see that the carnage of such a reconstructed accident. (Even using stunt drivers, it would be a dangerous feat)

To a certain extent, this was the immovable object against the irresistible force.

The closest incident I can think in the movies is the old TV movie Duel.

Part of this (and the Southwest incident) is that in both cases, everything was going relatively normal and in the matter of a few seconds, it went really bad without warning. This is the sort of terrifying part of it, is that there was no malicious intent in either case.

The good and bad of this is that in both cases is there will be problems identified and in some cases some over restrictive legislation. I have seen this before in that sometimes there can be an over reaction.

Case in point was the having the airline passengers passengers stay in seats for the last 30 minutes of flights after 9/11.

ssgenius · April 20, 2018, 11:02pm

One other point I sort of find fascinating is that the 24 year old female trainer was travelling with a bunch of athletic 16 - 20 year olds who to put it mildly would be quite interested in girls at that age.

Interestingly enough, the initial impression that I would have would be that this girl travelling with a bunch of teenage boys could be the subject of their affections and could be in danger that way.

In reality, more often than not, the team treats her as more of a sister than a potential conquest and she is actually quite safe with all those teenage guys around her. (Not to mention the coaches)

The picture of her in the team photo just looks hilarious. She just looks so tiny compared with the roughly 6 ft tall players (Mind you, they have their skates on).

Not to mention that she is the one who the players come to to help improve their skills and to get patched up after the bumps and bruises.

Northern_Piper · April 21, 2018, 12:55pm

Here’s a CTV article, with the complete video of the press conference from the Assistant Commissioner, F Division: Semi in intersection at time of Humboldt Broncos bus crash: RCMP.

He mentions that the tracking computers from both vehicles have been taken to California for analysis. The results of those “black boxes” should provide considerable assistance in understanding exactly what happened.

One of the surviving players has given an interview of what he remembers: Humboldt crash survivor heard a scream, saw the truck and everything went black:

Northern_Piper · April 24, 2018, 12:08am

and a bit of good news: the last two Broncos who were in critical condition have been upgraded to “serious”, meaning that the hospital staff no longer think their injuries are life-threatening.

They probably still have a long way to go, but still, good!

Six still in hospital.

Northern_Piper · May 5, 2018, 12:59pm

Interview with the pregnant driver who witnessed the crash: ‘I want to be able to hug the families and say sorry’: Key witness recounts Humboldt Broncos bus crash

She explains that she was in her car with her two young sons, driving eastbound and was stopped at the intersection (which would be facing towards the west-bound semi). She saw the Broncos bus coming northbound, at normal highway speed. Then:

She and her family are very lucky…

Later on, the Nipawin hospital sent her to Saskatoon, and the ambulance picked up one of the injured Broncos:

The story indicates that she is one of the main witnesses whom the Mounties have interviewed.

Northern_Piper · May 9, 2018, 1:11pm

A story about Kaleb Dahlgren: seriously injured but gradually recovering:

Injured Humboldt Broncos player can’t recall bus crash

Humboldt Bronco forward Kaleb Dahlgren remembers putting on his suit during the bus ride to a playoff game, returning to his seat and asking his friend and teammate, Nick Shumlanski, to point out his family’s house along the highway.

Other teammates joked that they weren’t interested.

“Nobody cares,” chirped goalie Parker Tobin, prompting the whole bus to burst out laughing.

Dahlgren retorted that he cared and everyone roared with laughter again.

“After that, I tossed on my headphones because I wanted to get into the zone,” he told The Canadian Press. "I put on my headphones and that’s the last thing I can remember.

“Four days later, I wake up in the hospital.”

…

“I remember waking up and looking at my parents and saying, ‘Am I dreaming?”’

No, responded Mark and Anita Dahlgren.

“Did we win our game?” asked Kaleb, who suffered a fractured skull, a puncture wound in his head, a brain injury, two broken vertebrae in his neck and four others in his back.

…

Dahlgren also has a long recovery ahead: six to eight weeks for the vertebrae to heal, three to six months for the brain injury, and another year or two before his brain fully recovers.

He said that before he was released from hospital, he had a visit from a first responder who treated him at the crash site.

“He said I was helping everybody,” said Dahlgren. "When he showed up on the scene, I was trying to make sure people were OK. I was going person to person just to see how they are doing.

“I have no recollection of that at all.”

Soon afterward, he was put on a stretcher and sent to hospital.

Northern_Piper · May 9, 2018, 1:14pm

And a story about Xavier Labelle, the one who was misidentified as having died in the wreck, with a cheerful looking photo as he does rehab:

Labelle family ‘forever grateful’ for support following Humboldt Broncos bus crash

Northern_Piper · May 9, 2018, 1:20pm

And discussion is starting about how to divide the GoFundMe money:

Humboldt Broncos donation fund should be split evenly, family of injured player says

But a US lawyer has weighed in and said most of it should go to the families of the deceased, and the rest divvied up according to the severity of the injuries.

A U.S.-based lawyer said he has suggested the team appoint an administrator and community advisory committee.

“The first step should be for the administrator to draft a protocol that details the eligibility criteria and the methodology for calculating individual awards,” said Ken Feinberg, who has dealt with similar funds for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing.

…

Once they received input, the administrator and committee could decide how much would go to each victim without involving the courts, he said.

In the U.S., Feinberg said it is the law that 75 per cent of any money is split equally among families of those who have died. The rest goes to the injured.

He said those who are the most seriously hurt, particularly if they are in a coma or are paralyzed, receive more.

Nice of him to weigh in and instruct the rubes in Saskatchewan on how our legal system should operate.

elbows · May 9, 2018, 1:30pm

I thought the same when I read his opinion. I think the fine people of Humboldt can find their own solution. They have not made a misstep, in handling the tragedy nor the intense media attention that follows such an event.

Northern_Piper · May 12, 2018, 12:45am

Here’s a couple of stories about one of the survivors, Kaleb Dahlgreb. He’s the one who had a skull fracture and a brain injury, as well as fractured vertebrae. The family doctor who was telling his parents about the brain scans was crying, saying it was really bad. He actually had “5C” embedded in his skin, from where his head collided with a seat number.

And yet, he’s now up and about, in physio rehab and back home with his parents. His brain seems to be healing. He’s been back in contact with the support group he founded for kids with diabetes, like him. He wants to be on the skates by this summer.

And, he’s been accepted by York University in Toronto on a hockey scholarship, starting in the fall.

The long road home: Humboldt Broncos’ Kaleb Dahlgren alive, and thankful

Humboldt Broncos’ Kaleb Dahlgren joining York University hockey team

And then an interview with the family of Adam Herold, who died in the crash:

Herolds open their doors and their hearts

A four-hour visit to Herold Farms begins with a handshake and ends with a hug.

The moment that you meet Russ Herold and his wife of 26 years, Raelene, these high school sweethearts feel like lifelong friends. Their lives, torn apart by the Humboldt Broncos’ bus crash, are an open book.

Oftentimes, they marvel at how complete strangers — from all over North America, and even the world — have reached out with remarkable acts of kindness. Yet, the Herolds are the same way, welcoming a reporter and photographer to their 3,600-acre farm, and opening their hearts.

There was only one proviso when the interview was scheduled. Russ asked if we could chat in the cab of his John Deere tractor. It is seeding season, after all.

To someone utterly unacquainted with life on the farm, the stairs to the cab of a 37,000-pound behemoth look like Mount Everest. The tires are taller than anyone who drives the tractor.

After eventually, clumsily, ascending to the cab and occupying a perch to the left of Russ, he says: “That’s where Adam sat.”

…
Neighbours have pitched in to help with day-to-day matters, and to assist on the farm when needed. People are still bringing food or lending an ear.

“It’s overwhelming that so many people will stop what they’re doing and do things for Adam,” Raelene says.

At times, each day can seem overwhelming. The family is at the stage in which it is dealing with all the firsts, one by one — Adam’s birthday … the first seeding season without him … Mother’s Day on Sunday … an eventual visit to the family’s cottage near Katepwa Lake … hockey season …

The Herolds will spend Mother’s Day at the Montmartre home of Raelene’s parents, Lawrence and Carol Englot.

Then everyone will move on to the next day, and the next one, and the one that follows. Small steps. Lots of hugs. And so many memories to share, cherished recollections that provide comfort.

“As a parent, you always think that your kid is a good kid,” Raelene says, “but Adam really was a good kid.”

After meeting the Herolds, it is easy to understand why.

Patx2 · May 12, 2018, 1:25am

Thank you, so much for sharing that, I’ve got tears in my eyes. What a long road he has ahead of him, but what great news! One day at a time.

elbows · May 12, 2018, 2:06am

Indeed, thank you for all these posts, very appreciative.

Northern_Piper · May 12, 2018, 2:13am

I can’t find the article now, but at the time of the funerals, one of the players in hospital said that the hardest thing was not being able to go to the funerals and say good-bye.

wolfpup · July 6, 2018, 11:49pm

Update: After a lengthy investigation, earlier speculation here about what likely happened seems to have been confirmed. The truck driver 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. None of the specific evidence has been made public, but it suggests that the truck just blew through the stop sign.

Patx2 · July 7, 2018, 12:16am

I was just thinking about this again the other day, wondering about the survivors and if there was any explanation. Thanks for the update.

Leaffan · July 7, 2018, 5:23am

It’s a shitty situation for everyone. There was no malice.

He blew a stop sign. How bad do you think he feels?

I am sad for everyone.

Northern_Piper · September 14, 2018, 10:54pm

‘It’s quite amazing’: Hockey night in Humboldt a country-wide affair

HUMBOLDT — On a chilly, overcast day in Humboldt, 160 nights after bus and semi collided at a rural Saskatchewan intersection, two groups of boys pulled on their jerseys and played hockey.

Before this wee miracle of a game, Humboldt Broncos players passed through a dressing room door with a sign above the frame — a message from Darcy Haugan to his team.

“It’s a great day to be a Bronco, gentlemen,” reads the sign, green with white letters. From that little message came a walk to the ice surface, a sold-out arena, a national television audience, a hockey game.

Haugan, the Broncos’ head coach and general manager, used that phrase almost daily before he died in the April 6 crash that killed 16 people on the Broncos’ bus.

A little more than five months later, the Broncos — rebuilt the best they could, in the tight time frame they were given — played their season opener against the Nipawin Hawks, losing 2-1 in a tightly-played scrap. The night closed with a powerful post-game ceremony, filled with tears and memories.

But Nipawin is the best of all possible opponents, Broncos’ forward Brayden Camrud — a crash survivor — said prior to the contest. The Hawks were Humboldt’s playoff foe when the collision happened near Nipawin, and that place became a hasty gathering point through a horrible night.

“They did a fantastic job of honouring us, wearing our helmets, having a small tribute for us (in the wake of the crash),” Camrud said. “They showed up at the hospital that night in Nipawin, too, and a lot of guys took it upon themselves to go out of the way to do small things. Playing specifically against Nipawin is going to be special.”

Two players on that April 6 bus suited up for the Broncos Wednesday night. Brayden Camrud and Derek Patter dressed across from each other. Each occupied the centre stall on his own side of the room, flanked by five per side.

A new coach, Nathan Oystrick, walked on the floor between those two walls. New players populated the room.

As puck-drop neared, players skated to the spotlight one by one. They saved Camrud and Patter for last. Fans rose to their feet. Patter put his right arm around Camrud’s shoulder, and Camrud his left arm around Patter.

Eight more of last year’s survivors congregated on the ice.

From there, Patter and Camrud went to centre ice for the ceremonial faceoff. Tyler Smith, who emerged from that crash, dropped the puck, flanked by the whole crew. They all enjoyed one more moment on the ice — one last moment on the ice — as the arena got louder, louder, louder.

Then a moment of silence for the 16 who didn’t make it, broken by quiet sniffles, up, down, left, right, everywhere. At the back of the arena, a woman stood by, tissue packages in hand for bystanders to take as needed — a nice little Humboldt touch in a city accustomed to tears.

Northern_Piper · September 14, 2018, 11:02pm

The President of the Broncos, Kevin Garinger, who was such a rock through it all, announced last month that he was stepping down as President, but will stay on the board.

Humboldt Broncos president Kevin Garinger steps down: ‘I have to take some time’

Kevin Garinger, the man who shepherded the Humboldt Broncos and much of the hockey world through the darkest period in the history of Canadian sports, stepped down after one year as president of the Saskatchewan Jr. League team at its annual meeting on Tuesday night. When Garinger, who is also the director of education for the local public school board, assumed the volunteer position a year ago, he did so on the proviso that he would do it for just one year. But he could not have imagined that year would be the most difficult of his life.

When the Humboldt Broncos step on the ice for the first day of training camp on Friday, almost five months after the bus crash that killed 11 players and five members of the team’s support staff, they will do so without Garinger holding down an official role. It’s likely he would have given up his presidency anyway, but the emotional energy and the toll it has taken on him made the decision an easy one.

“I have to take some time for myself,” Garinger said. “That may sound selfish, but it’s something that is a necessity for me.”

If it is indeed selfish – and it isn’t – Garinger has earned the right to think about himself for the first time in months. He was the face of the franchise in the days after the crash, facing the crush of international media attention, tending to the players who had survived the tragedy and making arrangements on the fly. The record donations that poured in from the GoFundMe effort after the crash had to be managed. Garinger attended all but a couple of the 16 funerals and those he didn’t were only because they conflicted with other Bronco funerals. He did it all while mourning the loss of all of the people with whom he had a working relationship and while dealing with the death of Lukan, who had come to live with Garinger and his wife when he joined the Broncos last season.

Northern_Piper · January 27, 2019, 2:45pm

There was a significant development in this case earlier this month. The driver of the semi pled guilty to all counts: 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. Sentencing will be later this week.

Truck driver in fatal Humboldt Broncos crash pleads guilty

During Tuesday’s hearing, Mr. Sidhu stood before the judge and said, "I plead guilty, your honour.”

Outside the court, his lawyer said Mr. Sidhu wanted to avoid delaying the case further.

Mr. Sidhu advised me: ‘I don’t want to make things any worse. I can’t make things any better, but I certainly don’t want to make them worse by having a trial,’ ” Mark Brayford said.

“He wanted the families to know that he’s devastated by the grief that he’s caused them and he’s overwhelmed by the expressions of sympathy and kindness that some of the families and players have expressed to him, in spite of the fact their grief is entirely his fault.”

…

Scott Thomas, whose 18-year-old son, Evan, died in the crash, said the guilty plea confirmed what he had always believed.

“It was my opinion right from the first moment of the accident that he blew through that stop sign,” Mr. Thomas said in an interview. “It was definitely a sense of relief. It just confirmed everything that I knew in my mind – that he was responsible for it.”

Mr. Thomas said Mr. Sidhu’s sentence is less important than the fact that he pleaded guilty.

“Whatever that number is, I think the most important thing is that he stood up and admitted responsibility for what he did.”

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Bus Crash Of Junior Hockey Players in Saskatchewan - Fatalities Confirmed [in 2018]

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