Semi-truck driver charged in fatal Brandon, Man., crash out on bail (original) (raw)
The semi-truck driver charged in a Brandon, Man., crash that killed a 49-year-old woman last month has been released on bail.
Brijpal Panwar released after $5K payment, must surrender driver's licence
Listen to this article
Estimated 2 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The 35-year-old man charged with dangerous driving causing death in a Brandon, Man., crash that killed a 49-year-old woman was released on conditions after appearing in Brandon court Monday. (CBC)
The semi-truck driver charged in a Brandon, Man., crash that killed a 49-year-old woman last month has been released on bail.
Brijpal Panwar, who is charged with dangerous driving causing death in the May 27 collision, appeared in Brandon provincial court Monday.
The judge agreed to release Panwar, 35, after the Crown and defence counsel agreed on a release plan involving a $5,000 payment and a surety. A person is sometimes accepted as a surety to make sure the person charged follows the conditions of their release.
"As a surety, you must agree that, if the person does not follow the conditions, you will pay the sum of money that is set at the time of the charged person’s release," the website for Manitoba's court system states.
Panwar must surrender his driver's licence to Brandon police within 24 hours of his release, and his passport to Brandon police or an appropriate Canadian authority.
The terms of his release also state he is not to drive any vehicle or sit in a driver's seat, that he lives at a home in Etobicoke, Ont., and that he remains in Ontario or Manitoba.
He is also not allowed to contact three specific people or be within a 50-metre radius of their home, workplace, school or place of worship, the conditions state.
Panwar allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Highway 110. His semi-truck collided with a westbound SUV, killing the other driver, police said.
- Alberta trucking company at centre of fatal Manitoba crash has spotty history, records show
- Bail hearing set for semi driver accused in fatal crash at Brandon intersection
The trucking company Panwar worked for, Conquer Transportation Inc., was recently assessed as being among the "highest-risk" transportation companies based in Alberta, the company's carrier profile in that province states.
The company, previously named Conquer Transport Inc., lost its Manitoba safety certification in 2021 after multiple failed inspections and safety code facility audits, provincial documents show. The company also faced 30 convictions between 2018 and 2021 across five provinces, government documents say.
Panwar is to report to a Toronto police service division every second Friday and is not to apply for any travel documents, the conditions of his release state.
His next court date is set for July 7.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin is a journalist with CBC Manitoba’s investigative unit. His first job at the CBC was as an intern with the Parliamentary Bureau in Ottawa. After finishing his master’s degree in journalism at Carleton University, he was selected as a Joan Donaldson and Peter Gzowski CBC summer news scholar, working with the CBC investigative unit in Toronto before moving to Winnipeg to report for CBC Manitoba. His primary interest is in the intersection of sports and global politics. He can be reached at justin.fiacconi@cbc.ca.