The driver of a pickup truck involved in a collision that killed a St. Albert woman last summer was handed a fine in court Monday.
Melvin Rodney Smith pleaded guilty to failing to proceed safely after stopping, a charge under the Traffic Safety Act.
Court heard that on Aug. 28, 2013, around 10:30 a.m., a motorcycle travelling westbound on Villeneuve Road (Highway 633) collided with a pickup truck that was pulling a flatbed utility trailer travelling southbound on Range Road 260.
Shannon Bazian, 42, of St. Albert was the driver of the motorcycle. She was declared dead at the scene.
At the time of the collision, the speed limit on that section of Villeneuve Road was 60 kilometres per hour due to ongoing construction of nearby Ray Gibbon Drive.
Witness reports indicated the motorcycle was travelling at the speed limit around the area of construction, but accelerated to 130 kilometres per hour by Range Road 260.
A collision reconstructionist said 70 kilometres per hour was the minimum speed the motorcycle was travelling upon impact.
Police notes stated the pickup truck stopped at the intersection between Range Road 260 and Villenueve Road, but construction signs were directly in the driver’s line of sight.
“This is a tragic set of circumstances,” noted Judge Bruce Garriock. “Speed needs to be respected.”
Smith, 65, was given a $172 fine. The Crown withdrew a charge of careless driving.
