14 people were killed in a crash on Highway 35 in Saskatchewan on Friday, according to the RCMP.
The crash involved a semi-truck and the team bus of the Humboldt Broncos, a hockey team that competes in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The president of the Broncos said the team includes players from the Edmonton area, Slave Lake and Airdrie in Alberta, and from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Investigators and emergency crews were still at the scene of the collision shortly before 1 a.m. when police issued a news release.
Nipawin RCMP said the collision happened about 30 kilometres north of Tisdale, near the junction of Highway 335.
Police said there were 28 people on the bus at the time of the crash, including the driver. Fourteen people were sent to hospital with a variety of injuries — three of them had injuries that were described as “critical.”
RCMPsaid, “We are not confirming the identity of the victims at this time, including whether the deceased are players or coaches.We will be working with our partner agencies to ensure families are notified as soon as possible and the appropriate supports are provided to families and others who are impacted by this extremely tragic incident.”
The president of the Nipawin Hawks said a semi-truck T-boned the players’ bus.
“It’s a horrible accident, my God,” Darren Opp said. “It’s very, very bad.
Words can not describe the loss that we feel tonight.
From a grieving province, thank you to first responders & medical professionals for courageous response under the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
Tonight, we all must pray for these families.https://t.co/dEnhKMkDxJ
— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) April 7, 2018
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said parents and family members seeking information about their loved ones who may have been involved in the crash can call 306-752-8700.
