Walking in Waterloo Region

[taylortbb]

So three people helped the perp, who is still on the lamb?  Who ARE these people!!??

Based on the ages, I'd guess the perp's parents and sibling or partner. While obviously a shitty thing to do, I don't find it entirely surprising.

[panamaniac]

So three people helped the perp, who is still on the lamb?  Who ARE these people!!??

Based on the ages, I'd guess the perp's parents and sibling or partner. While obviously a shitty thing to do, I don't find it entirely surprising.

I find it shocking.  One hopes they feel the full force of the law.

[clasher]

Shitty people raise shitty kids that in turn do a shitty thing to "help" them. I'm not a huge fan of the prison system but what else do you do with people like this?

[jeffster]

Based on the ages, I'd guess the perp's parents and sibling or partner. While obviously a shitty thing to do, I don't find it entirely surprising.

I find it shocking.  One hopes they feel the full force of the law.

I almost can guarantee that they were out drinking. No other reason not to stick around. Sad thing is, if they have money, they'll get a good lawyer who'll figure a way to get them off.

[plam]

I find it shocking.  One hopes they feel the full force of the law.

I almost can guarantee that they were out drinking. No other reason not to stick around. Sad thing is, if they have money, they'll get a good lawyer who'll figure a way to get them off.

At least it costs them money, $5k I've heard. But yes, it's terrible.

[panamaniac]

I almost can guarantee that they were out drinking. No other reason not to stick around.  Sad thing is, if they have money, they'll get a good lawyer who'll figure a way to get them off.

At least it costs them money, $5k I've heard. But yes, it's terrible.

That sounds like an HTA penalty.  The news report implies these people have been charged under the Criminal Code.   The family of the victim will also have the basis for a civil action, I should think, should they want to go that way.

[tomh009]

Charges for the actual event apart, leaving the scene of the accident is a criminal code offence and can get you up to six months' imprisonment.

[panamaniac]

Charges for the actual event apart, leaving the scene of the accident is a criminal code offence and can get you up to six months' imprisonment.

That would be the HTA penalty, I assume.  The potential penalty under the Criminal Code would be much higher.

[tomh009]

Charges for the actual event apart, leaving the scene of the accident is a criminal code offence and can get you up to six months' imprisonment.

That would be the HTA penalty, I assume.  The potential penalty under the Criminal Code would be much higher.

Right you are: the criminal code penalty can be up to ten years. Edit: Up to 14 years for an accident involving bodily harm, or up to life imprisonment for a fatal accident.

Incidentally, even indirect involvement in an accident requires you to stay on the scene, so I expect that the passengers can also be charged under the criminal code (though not under the HTA).

[panamaniac]

So three people helped the perp, who is still on the lamb?  Who ARE these people!!??

Only thing we know is that they're from Waterloo. I am guessing they could be family members of the driver, and would have been in the car when it happened.

Hence the reported accessory after the fact charges.  Although that would not necessarily mean that they were in the car at the time of the accident.

[Bob_McBob]

In reality, the penalty for failure to stop at accident involving death rarely exceeds a few months in jail, unless the driver was impaired or their conduct was particularly egregious. In many cases it will be conditional too. If anything, the obstructing justice charges are significantly more serious in terms of sentencing.

[jeffster]

I almost can guarantee that they were out drinking. No other reason not to stick around.  Sad thing is, if they have money, they'll get a good lawyer who'll figure a way to get them off.

At least it costs them money, $5k I've heard. But yes, it's terrible.

Well, I meant in the context of spending $100,000 on a lawyer to get them off. The driver might get a $5K fine either way. What really should be happening is jail time and a lifetime driving ban. But if this family does have the cash, or at least assets, they afford a smart lawyer that will figure things out in their favour. They'll probably suggest that the man jaywalked or was too close to the road, or something. Unless they (the police) have some sort of video proving otherwise.

[danbrotherston]

At least it costs them money, $5k I've heard. But yes, it's terrible.

Well, I meant in the context of spending $100,000 on a lawyer to get them off. The driver might get a $5K fine either way. What really should be happening is jail time and a lifetime driving ban. But if this family does have the cash, or at least assets, they afford a smart lawyer that will figure things out in their favour. They'll probably suggest that the man jaywalked or was too close to the road, or something. Unless they (the police) have some sort of video proving otherwise.

That might have been the case if he stopped.  And if he wasn’t drunk, which seems unlikely, might even have been the default response of the media and police. It is much harder to blame a pedestrian for being too close to the road and causing you to flee the scene of a collision and then work to cover it up after the fact.

[panamaniac]

Well, I meant in the context of spending $100,000 on a lawyer to get them off. The driver might get a $5K fine either way. What really should be happening is jail time and a lifetime driving ban. But if this family does have the cash, or at least assets, they afford a smart lawyer that will figure things out in their favour. They'll probably suggest that the man jaywalked or was too close to the road, or something. Unless they (the police) have some sort of video proving otherwise.

That might have been the case if he stopped.  And if he wasn’t drunk, which seems unlikely, might even have been the default response of the media and police. It is much harder to blame a pedestrian for being too close to the road and causing you to flee the scene of a collision and then work to cover it up after the fact.

 And, it would seem, evaded arrest after the jig was up.  Not strongly associated with an innocent mind ...

[ijmorlan]

I think any defence of involving the idea of shared responsibility or “I made a tragic but honest mistake” should only be available to people who immediately stop, contact emergency services, and immediately give a forthright statement to police. If they ran and tried to evade responsibility as seems to be the case here they shouldn’t even be allowed to present such a defence in court. It’s a waste of the Court’s time, and deeply offensive to both the victim’s family and friends and to civil society at large. Anybody who, after hitting a pedestrian in their car, continues on driving, is a criminal and should be treated as such.