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| The wreckage of a fatal crash outside of Tisdale, Sask., is seen Saturday, April, 7, 2018. A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos hockey team collided with a truck en route to Nipawin for a game Friday night killing 14. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press) |
Head coach, team captain among the dead when semi-trailer collided with bus near Tisdale, Sask.
CBC News
The death toll from a horrific crash involving a Saskatchewan junior hockey team bus has risen to 15. The RCMP said a 15th person died Saturday, after 14 fatalities were announced overnight. Another 14 people were injured — some critically — in the collision near Tisdale, Sask.
The president of the Humboldt Broncos hockey team fought back tears Saturday as he described being "heartbroken and completely devastated" by the crash.
'Head coach Darcy Haugan was one of the victims who died when the bus collided with a semi-trailer.
Tyler Bieber, who worked with Humboldt radio station 107.5 Bolt FM, is also confirmed dead.
Broncos team captain Logan Schatz, 20, and players Adam Herold, 16, and Jaxon Joseph, 20, were among those killed in the crash.
A close family friend said Matthieu Gomercic, from Winnipeg, survived the crash with "minor injuries."
Derek Patter, Greyson Cameron and Nick Shumlanski also were among the injured.
"These young men have had a significant impact, on our homes, on our families, on our children," said Humboldt Broncos president Kevin Garinger at a news conference attended by about 200 people in Humboldt, Sask., on Saturday afternoon.
Humboldt Mayor Rob Muench was also emotional as he spoke of the widespread impact the crash has had, adding that he had spoken to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier in the day.
"This tragedy has hit a number of people, not just us but I think everybody can relate to this experience," said Muench.
"Throughout Canada we see teams going out into the Canadian winters on buses all the time and it's always a thought in parents and fans minds about what can happen and unfortunately has happened here."
Police say there were 29 people on the bus at the time of the crash, including the driver.
Garinger said all families of the deceased have been notified.
Speaking at the news conference on Saturday, RCMP Saskatchewan Assistant Commissioner Curtis Zablocki revealed new details about the crash and the investigation.
He said the male driver of the semi-trailer was not injured and, although he was detained temporarily after the collision, he has now been released.
Zablocki said it was too early to comment on the cause of the collision but he confirmed the semi-trailer was travelling westbound on Highway 335 when it collided with the bus travelling northbound on Highway 35.
"This is a very involved investigation and, due to the large amount of evidence, information, and the number of victims, this work will take some time," said Zablocki.
Bill Chow, the president of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, had to pause as he was overwhelmed with emotion at Saturday's news conference.
"The worst nightmare has happened. As a league, we will support the Humboldt Broncos in every way possible," he said.
A GoFundMe page raising money for families affected by the crash had raised $1 million of its $2 million goal by 2 p.m. Saturday, 18 hours after it was created.
Tom Straschnitzki, the father of Ryan Straschnitzki, one of the players injured in the crash, said his son suffered a severe back injury.
"He's alive and breathing, and from what we know he has a broken back, and as of now, can't feel anything from his waist down."
"I think he's still in shock, still asking how everyone is and who perished and who didn't."
"He remembers he was in the middle of the bus and then he remembers waking up when the paramedics took him off the bus ... and he said, 'I thought the semi T-boned right in the middle,' but he said, 'no, it was in the front of the bus.'"
Horror crash
The Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League say the crash involved the team bus of the Humboldt Broncos, who were on their way to Nipawin for Game 5 of its SJHL semifinal series. The crash happened about 30 kilometres north of Tisdale, Sask.
Justin Trudeau
✔
@JustinTrudeau
I cannot imagine what these parents are going through, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy, in the Humboldt community and beyond. https://twitter.com/ralphgoodale/status/982440725429342209 …
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
Just spoke to @JustinTrudeau to pay my highest respect and condolences to the families of the terrible Humboldt Team tragedy. May God be with them all!
The Hawks had been scheduled to play the Broncos on Friday night, but said on Facebook shortly after 6 p.m. CST that the game was cancelled because of the crash.
"Our community is in utter shock and we are trying our best to comes to grips with this unimaginable tragedy," Broncos president Kevin Garinger said on Saturday morning.
Like others in the small community of nearly 6,000, he said he knew each of the young men and staff on the team personally, and had been billeting one of the players at his home.
We are just in utter disbelief and shock at the loss that's fallen upon us.- Broncos president Kevin Garinger
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