Sarbjit Kaur Sidhu, 30, was one of three women killed in van rollover

ABBOTSFORD - With tears streaming down his face, Abbotsford dad Jagjeet Sidhu yesterday explained to his eight-year-old daughter Avneet that her mom would never come home.

His 30-year-old wife, Sarbjit Kaur, perished in the crash of a van that killed two other female farm workers and injured 14 Wednesday on the rain-washed Trans-Canada Highway just west of the Sumas interchange.

Yesterday, as two counsellors from Abbotsford police sat in the basement of the family home gently chatting with Avneet, Sidhu stood with his arms folded, grief etched on his face, his red-rimmed eyes glistening with tears.

Through sobs, the truck driver told The Province in Punjabi how he explained to Avneet what had happened to her mother.

He led her slowly to the conclusion that her mom had died, because she had no idea why everyone in the home was crying.

"I said to her, 'Daughter, do you know that mom had an accident yesterday?' And she said, 'Yes, I know that,'" Sidhu said.

"I asked her, 'Do you know when an accident happens and you get very badly injured, do you know what happens?'

"And she said no, she did not know.

"Then I said to her, 'When a person is really badly injured, that person goes away to God.' And I said, 'Your mom is with God.'

"And she understood and started to cry."

The distraught dad said he made a promise to his daughter.

"I said to my daughter, 'I will quit my job. I will drive a cab so I will be closer to home. I will be a mom and your dad.'"

Sidhu then sat on a bed holding his face and sobbing.

"I lost everything. She was such a good woman," he said.

"For the last 10 years that we've been married I have never seen her say a harsh word to anyone or to fight with anyone. She was such a good friend that even if I looked all over the world I would not find such a friend."

He said his two other children, Avnoor, 3, and 15-month-old

Sukman are too young to know they have lost their mother.

As the counsellors left, a small smile broke momentarily on Sidhu's face as his three young children climbed on to his lap.

He said Ranjit Gill, the labour contractor to whom the van was registered, visited him to express his regret, but offered little explanation as to what happened.

Sidhu said Gill's wife, Harwinderpal Kaur, was driving the van.

"I don't know if the van was safe or was not safe," he said.

"I still have not seen my wife's body. If the van is found to be unsafe, somebody should do something about it."

RCMP Const. Dave Babineau said the driver held a Class 5 licence. She required a Class 4 licence to be transporting the 17 passengers.

Investigators are determining if alterations were made to the

15-person van. There appeared to be a makeshift plywood bench inside.

"The law says . . . no alterations can be made to add more [seats]," he said.

Sidhu is making arrangements for his wife's funeral, which will likely be this weekend.

Salim Jiwa, with a file from Glenda Luymes, The Province