RCMP confirm semi in intersection at time of bus crash

In a news conference held at RCMP Depot Division Thursday, Assistant Commissioner and Commanding Officer Curtis Zablocki confirmed the tractor-trailer was in the middle of the intersection at the time of the collision.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” Zablocki admitted.

The investigation is still in the evidence recovery and collection stage. No charges have been laid in relation to this collision.  There is still a lot of work to be done interpreting and analyzing all of the information gathered.

— RCMP Saskatchewan (@RCMPSK) April 19, 2018

What is well-known is that the tractor-trailer was travelling westbound on Highway 335, and the Broncos bus was northbound on Highway 35 which is a thoroughfare.

The RCMP now know the road and sky were clear and the sun was shining at the time the crash happened at approximately 5 p.m. on Apr. 6.

The investigation was described as “complex,” involving environmental aspects like weather and road conditions, mechanical information from the vehicles as well as taking into account the human element.

Complex collision reconstruction investigations take time and are often measured in weeks and months rather than days.  But be assured, we are committed to providing updates as the investigation progresses.

— RCMP Saskatchewan (@RCMPSK) April 19, 2018

Mechanical work has been done on the vehicles and investigators are awaiting those reports. Vehicle logs are also in the hands of the RCMP. Engine control modules have also been taken from the two vehicles which are being analyzed in California.

So far 5,500 photos have been taken, including from the air and other equipment has been used to move this investigation forward.

The semi driver remains in contact with the RCMP and the investigation is ongoing with partners like Transport Canada, SGI and others. At this point, no charges have been laid and the RCMP would not reveal whether charges may be laid in the future.

There were a number of pieces of information that form part of the investigation that the RCMP weren’t yet ready to share if the answers are known at this point.

Details such as where the semi was going, whether it was overloaded and whether the driver ran the stop sign were not shared.

Zablocki maintained “significant resources” are being used for this investigation for the answers he knows everyone is looking for.

He said their thoughts remain with those who lost their lives, those injured, their families, first responders and all those impacted by the tragedy.

Intersection closed for crash reconstruction investigation

The crash site at the intersection of Highways 35 and 335 south of Nipawin will be closed to all traffic for the day to allow the forensic collision reconstruction team to work on scene testing and analysis.

Investigators will be positioning vehicles similar to those involved in the crash at the intersection to take measurements and analyze sightlines.

A team of 12 RCMP traffic reconstructionists will be on the scene assisted by eight other RCMP officers to manage traffic flow. There will be barricades and detours in place at all roads leading up to the crash site.

Broncos continue collecting donations to support families

The tragedy has drawn waves of international support. A GoFundMe campaign closed at midnight Wednesday after raising $15.18 million dollars from 140,000 donors across Canada and around the world.

The donations will be transferred to the Humboldt Broncos Memorial Fund which will distribute the money to help the families of the victims.

A new organization called the Humboldt Broncos Community Foundation will continue to accept donations to provide ongoing support for players, employees, families and volunteers, as well as first responders and emergency services personnel, teams, athletes, related organizations and communities affected by the crash.

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