The Saskatchewan RCMP said they are preparing for Crown consultation at the conclusion of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash investigation.
The collision between the junior ‘A’ hockey team’s bus and a semi-trailer on April 6 claimed the lives of 16 players and staff on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin. Thirteen others were injured.
“Our investigators are still conducting some interviews … we’re waiting for a number of expert reports to come in to us,” Supt. Derek Williams, head of Saskatchewan RCMP’s major crimes unit, said.
“We can appreciate the complexity and volume of the data that comes from collision reconstruction, and we need to make sure they get that information gathered and they have the appropriate time to analyze it.”
RCMP officials said Tuesday they will not give an estimate as to when the investigation might be done, because what investigators learn today can influence what action they must take tomorrow.
Williams said any formal discussions with the Crown would take place after RCMP have a complete disclosure package for them to review.
“Information from, I guess what they would call ‘black boxes,’ that information will form part of the package for the evidence and facts that we have available for Crown to review,” Williams said.
The RCMP’s collision reconstruction team and major crimes unit continue to “methodically” analyze the data and evidence gathered.
Once completed, the analysis will be peer reviewed in order to validate the findings and conclusions.
“(Peers) will be RCMP traffic reconstruction experts that are within the province of Saskatchewan, there’s a small group of them, but a number of them that will be available to review the information,” he said.
RCMP said their investigators remain in close contact with victims’ families and regularly reach out to provide whatever support they can.
The crash occurred on Highway 35 approximately 30 kilometres north of Tisdale near the intersection with Highway 335.
Comments