A Saskatoon judge has rejected the joint submission requesting a company responsible for a semi-trailer which hit an overpass pay a $14,000 fine as a sentence. A Bowline Logistics semi travelling North on Highway 11 collided with the Highway 16 overpass on March 5th. The collision caused significant damage to city infrastructure, along with two civilian vehicles struck by flying debris. The driver of the vehicle was previously sentenced to an $11,200 fine after pleading guilty to operating a vehicle in a manner causing damage to infrastructure. Bowling Logistics has also pleaded guilty for its role in the collision, with the penalty yet to be determined. In a joint submission, a $10,000 fine plus a $4,000 victim surcharge was requested as the sentence for the Regina based business. The judge denied the request, citing the number does not accurately reflect the significance of the collision. The judge expressed Bowline has not taken proper responsibility for the incident and has not stated how it could have been prevented. There have been seven instances of semis hitting Saskatoon overpasses in 2026. The trend was acknowledged by the judge, who expressed the sentencing in this case must reflect the need for trucking companies to understand the consequences of hitting infrastructure, and deter future instances from happening in the future. The next court appearance for the matter is scheduled for December 3rd, where another joint submission may be submitted. Bowline, however, has also been given the opportunity to withdraw its guilty plea and move to a trial.
