Police are awaiting medical reports to continue its investigation regarding a motor vehicle collision early last week near Saddle Lake, which resulted in the death of a 14-year-old girl, according to St. Paul RCMP Const. John Spaans.
A 17-year-old male from Saddle Lake was identified as the suspected driver of the vehicle and he has been sent to the young offenders centre in Edmonton. He is facing charges of impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing death, and failing to comply with a recognizance.
The accused was charged last August with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 22-year-old Bruce Dumais. Dumais died in hospital after he was found suffering with fatal stab wounds in front of a condo building in Edmonton just after midnight on June 19, 2011.
The 17-year-old was held in police custody until he was released into the care of a family member in December. Bail conditions for the teenager, who can’t be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, included adhering to a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., abstaining from drugs and alcohol of any kind, and keeping the peace.
In a press release from the St. Paul and Saddle Lake RCMP Detachments, a group of seven teenagers was joy-riding in a white 2004 Chevrolet Silverado in Saddle Lake early on Monday morning.
After dropping off two occupants at a residence with a ringed driveway, north of the town site, the driver accelerated aggressively on the grass between the driveway and lost control of the vehicle, Spaans said.
The pick-up rolled onto its roof and partially ejected a 14-year-old female passenger who was sitting in the front seat, trapping her under the truck and killing her instantly. The driver and a second occupant sustained minor injuries and fled the scene before emergency crews arrived, the press release noted.
Spaans said there were a number of witnesses to the accident, including members of the deceased’s family. The second passenger who fled the scene was tracked down and is now one of the witnesses in the investigation. No charges are being laid against anyone other than the suspected driver.
Following the accident, the truck was reported stolen from one of the communities outside the St. Paul area, Spaans said. No charges have been laid in relation to the theft, but the investigation is ongoing, he said.
The deceased female was a student at Kihew Asiniy School. The school’s graduation ceremony has been postponed as a result of the accident, as the community mourns the loss of one of its youth.
