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Trial delayed in fatal Canada Day 2016 crash that claimed two teens

Jan 16, 2019 | 11:52 AM

The trial for a Red Deer man charged in a fatal crash that killed two local teens in 2016 has been delayed.

Dylan James Beauclair, 20, is charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and two more of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in the July 1, 2016 crash that killed 16-year-old Ashleigh Smith of Springbrook and 18-year-old John Dolliver of Penhold.

A three-day judge-alone trial for Beauclair was scheduled to start in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Wednesday but Justice J.W. Hopkins granted an adjournment application from defence counsel Donna Derie-Gillespie after she cited a Charter breach in the case.

Derie-Gillespie told court she received updated disclosure information regarding a witness from the Crown overnight and now needs time to review it in the interests of trial fairness.

Crown prosecutor Aleksandra Simic argued against the need for an adjournment, saying, “I don’t think this new information merits an adjournment.”

However, Justice Hopkins granted the defence’s adjournment application, ordering the case to return to court for arraignment on February 4, where it’s expected new trial dates will be set.

The Canada Day 2016 incident saw Blackfalds RCMP and Red Deer County Fire and EMS respond to a late-night single-vehicle crash east of Red Deer near the intersection of Highway 595 and Range Road 261.

Mounties say two occupants were ejected from the vehicle and died on scene, while two others were seriously injured and taken to hospital in Red Deer.

A fifth occupant who was not ejected from the vehicle was also taken to Red Deer hospital for treatment but released a short time later.