Canadian government suing trucking company & driver for overheight bridge strike

A Canadian government is suing a trucking company and a truck driver for damage caused by an overheight bridge strike nearly two years ago. 

Truck driver Jasveer Singh Sangha was driving for Chohan Carrier Inc. when his overheight load struck the 112 Street Bridge in Delta, British Columbia, Canada on December 28th, 2023. The bridge sustained serious structural damage from the crash. The company was immediately ordered off of the road, and their operating license was permanently canceled in February 2024. Truck drivers working for Chohan had been involved in six bridge strike crashes since 2022. 

Chohan denied that Sangha was a company driver, and filed a lawsuit against transportation ministers in an attempt to get its operating license back. The company has not been reinstated. 

Now, the Canadian government of British Columbia is suing Chohan Carriers and Sangha. The trucking company is accused of negligence, including failure to secure necessary oversize load permits, ignoring height restrictions, and failure to verify the route’s clearance. The suit also alleges that Chohan Carriers failed to train its driver adequately or implement appropriate safety policies. Samgha is accused of driving at excessive speeds, failing to stay in his lane, failing to maintain proper distance, and operating a vehicle while impaired by fatigue, drugs, or alcohol, reported Business Intelligence for BC.

The Ministry of Transportation and Transit is seeking to recover the entire cost of the bridge repair plus interest. The total cost of the repairs has not been released.