On April 6, 2018, 16 people were killed and 13 were injured when a northbound coach bus struck a westbound semi-trailer truck that blew through a stop sign near Armley, Saskatchewan, Canada.

[13] The coroner's report on the 1997 accident suggested "additional warning device approaching Highway 35 from the west, which could include rumble strips," but this was not implemented since the last crash had occurred in 1988.

[15] According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) collision report, the semi-trailer truck and the coach bus collided at the intersection of Highways 35 and 335 at about 5:00 p.m. CST on April 6, 2018.

[12] As part of the emergency response to the crash, Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) dispatched three helicopters to assist with transporting victims.

[25] The Saskatchewan Health Authority, which oversees hospitals and ambulance services in the province, has encouraged employees affected to access counselling available, as many of the first responders had ties to the crash.

[26] Doug Lapchuk, president of the Saskatchewan Volunteer Firefighters Association, said his organization has sent peer counsellors to help members of the Nipawin and Tisdale fire departments who were involved in removing victims from the crash.

[26] An estimated 80 first responders were on scene of the crash, with resources from Tisdale, Nipawin, Zenon Park, Carrot River, Melfort, and other locations dispatched to provide aid.

[37] Doerksen was a former board member for the Carrot River Outback Thunder hockey team, serving from 2006 to 2011 and a driver for Charlie's Charters, a Saskatchewan bus company.

According to a statement released April 18, 2018, Assistant Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, the Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, would not announce any charges related to the crash.

[51] It was also stated during the press conference that the truck driver was in the intersection at the time of collision, but Assistant Commissioner Zablocki said he could not comment on its speed when the crash took place.

A police news release stated the investigators would be using vehicles similar to those involved in the collision to allow the reconstructionists to take further measurements and analyze sight lines.

[60] A group of survivors from the Swift Current Broncos bus crash in 1986, led by Sheldon Kennedy, headed to Humboldt to offer their support to the community and hockey team.

[66] One of the survivors, Ryan Straschnitzki, paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the accident, has told his parents he wants to continue playing sledge hockey and compete in the Paralympic Games.

[67] Similarly, Jacob Wassermann, another survivor who was paralyzed from the waist down, took up Pararowing in 2022 and made his debut with Team Canada in the single scull competition at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

[79] After eliminating the Minnesota Wild on April 20, 2018, during the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Jets displayed survivor Matthieu Gomercic, a forward for the Humboldt Broncos, on the jumbotron of Bell MTS Place, drawing a raucous standing ovation from the crowd.

[99] The tribute, known by the social media hashtag #PutYourSticksOut, was started after TSN Radio and former Broncos broadcaster Brian Munz received a text message from a friend urging people to leave their hockey sticks out, stating "the boys might need them ... wherever they are".

[102] Kingston musician Jason "Smitty" Smith posted a song about the crash on Facebook; the video shares a similar idea from the campaign and is entitled "Leave a Stick Out By the Door", which had generated over 1.3 million views by April 12, 2018.

[103] The crash location has been turned into a memorial, with Canadians from all across the country leaving flowers, candles, stuffed bears, stickers, coffee cups, wreaths, and hockey sticks.

[104] Four days after the Humboldt Broncos crash, musician Tom Cochrane appeared on Canadian sports network TSN to perform an acoustic version of his song "Big League" before hockey coverage began.

Eight days later, he released a studio recording of the reworked version as a charity single, with sales proceeds directed to the Humboldt Strong Community Foundation.

[110][111] Clint Jackson, an artist associated with the Olds Mavericks, created an artwork to commemorate the victims; the piece is a set of wings encasing two hockey sticks, with the faces of the dead airbrushed in the interior.

[115][116] Public discussion on the use of funds raised coincided with the Humboldt Broncos using the services of a Western Canada law firm, MLT Aikins, for assistance.

[117] The GoFundMe campaign closed on April 18, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. MST, and the Bronco's President Kevin Garinger met with the media to announce a plan for managing the donations.

Under Saskatchewan law, money raised through a public appeal must follow regulations that include appointing a supervising judge, submitting a proposed court order for fund allocation, and recommending a timeline for the distribution.

The Foundation's mission will be to support the Broncos' players, employees, families, and volunteers, as well as first responders, emergency personnel, teams, athletes, organizations, and community affected by the crash and the aftermath.

[further explanation needed][127] Tim Hortons, a Canadian fast-food company, raised $800,000 selling yellow-and-green sprinkle doughnuts, the proceeds of which were donated to the Humboldt Broncos.

[132] Families of those who died due to the accident discovered a website with error-filled obituaries of 11 of the 16 victims; the public could then purchase an online memorial candle or flowers, although the money would not be donated.

Proposed changes would include mandatory training for commercial truckers and an end to the practice of allowing companies to operate on Alberta roads for 60 days before they meet safety standards.

[14][166][167] In May 2018, the Humboldt Broncos took steps to be ready for the start of the next hockey season by looking to replace positions that had been lost through the accident, as well as an invitation-only camp in Saskatoon.

[169] The club played their first home game of the 2018–19 season on September 12 against Nipawin, which was televised nationally by TSN, and simulcast by CTV's Saskatchewan stations, as well as NHL Network in the United States.