Why did Jagmeet Grewal, the driver charged with negligence after fiery crash, get his permit back?

An official from Quebec's automobile insurance board, the SAAQ, took the stand Friday at the trial of a Dorval truck driver charged with criminal negligence causing death.

The crash took place on a sunny, clear day on Aug. 5, 2019, on a highway in Laval when the truck failed to stop and rear-ended several cars at 100 km/h.

The driver, Jagmeet Grewal, was arrested and charged.

On Friday, the SAAQ official had to explain why the trucker had a valid trucking licence at all after the board had previously revoked it.

Grewal was notified in 2014 that his trucker’s permit had been permanently suspended. The SAAQ took the step because Grewal suffered from mental health issues -- a decision backed up by extensive medical records from psychiatrists.

However, about four years later, Grewal returned to an SAAQ office and applied to renew his license with a four-page doctor’s note saying he was fine to resume driving trucks.

Due to privacy restrictions, the agents did not have access to his medical records showing he was permanently unfit.

Without that information , the SAAQ renewed Grewal’s license, and in August, 2019, he was involved in the fatal crash.

One year later, the SAAQ changed its rules to oblige agents to do a full medical background check for truckers who want to reapply for their permits.

Grewal's trial resumes next week.