Father of Humboldt Broncos player wants safer highways

Russ Herold lost his 16-year-old son Adam on April 6 when the bus carrying the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos was involved in a collision with a semi truck.

Now he’s looking for changes to ensure no one else has to endure what he and his family are going through.

Russ told the 980 CJME Morning Show on Monday he and his family are still trying to cope with the loss of their son.

“It’s getting harder as it goes on, as reality sets in that this is your new life.”

Now, Russ has been using his voice to try and make the province’s highways safer.

“Whether it’s one person that dies at an intersection or 16 or anyone even injured, if there are things that can be done to improve the safety, I think we owe it to everyone to look at anything we can do to make these intersections safer.”

He has reached out to Premier Scott Moe through Twitter and is set to attend meetings to find out what the province can do to help make highways safer.

The provincial government announced Monday it will be hiring a consulting firm to do a safety assessment of the intersection where the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy took place.

Russ said visibility is the number one issue facing drivers on the highways.

“You can have all the lighting, all the signage, all the reduced speed limits you want. If it’s a distracted driver or a driver that just doesn’t obey it, if you’re the other person involved in the intersection you can’t do anything defensively to save your life or the life of other people who might be with you.”

Support continues for the Herold family, with a charity hockey game taking place in Regina on May 11. All proceeds will go to a legacy and memorial fund.

“We’re so grateful for all the outpouring of support from friends and family and the community at large,” Russ said.

Russ said hearing stories about Adam shared by people who went to school or played sports with him has helped the family through their difficult time.