Crown ‘anxious to proceed’ in fatal pedestrian collision trial
By Delon Shurtz on June 26, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
The Crown prosecutor in a 14-month-old careless driving case involving the death of a young boy, is pressing to go to trial, while defence says it needs to gather more evidence before it will be ready to set a date.
During a brief hearing Friday in Lethbridge provincial court, Crown Prosecutor Bruce Ainscough said the assigned prosecutor is ready to set trial dates, and estimates the trial will take three days. Ainscough said the Crown is “anxious to proceed,” and wants to schedule a pre-trial conference, which typically allows lawyers and a judge to meet and discuss issues relating to the trial.
However, Lethbridge lawyer Greg White told court he is still waiting for his expert to provide a traffic reconstruction report, which he requested in response to a report prepared by the Crown’s expert. That report, White said at an earlier hearing, is missing information, and defence needs time to review its own findings before it will be ready to take the next step.
The accused, Neil Martin Skjodt, was charged after the 10-year-old boy was struck and killed by a motor vehicle April 13 of last year. A large SUV turning right onto Whoop-Up Drive near Aquitania Boulevard struck two young boys crossing in the crosswalk with their father. The 10-year-old boy died in the hospital.
Skjodt pleaded not guilty several months later to a single charge of careless driving under the Traffic Safety Act, and his lawyer said a trial would likely be necessary to deal with specific issues.
Skjodt, 52, was charged under the Traffic Safety Act rather than under the Criminal Code after investigating officers determined there was no criminality involved in the incident. The charge allows for a maximum fine of $2,000 or six months in jail, or both, and possibly licence suspension.
The accused’s next court hearing is set for July 15, and in the interim lawyers will try to arrange a pre-trial conference.
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You’re a family physician Neil, we’re supposed to trust you… just pay the $2000 fine and save us all this money having a trial.