Three months on weekends for young man who hit a teenager with vehicle

By Peggy Revell on November 9, 2017.

prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell

A young Medicine Hat man was sentenced Wednesday to three months jail, to be served on weekends, for dangerous driving causing bodily harm after an incident last December where he hit a pedestrian with his car on Dunmore Road.

The incident was a “brief but dangerous lapse of judgement,” said defence counsel Rob Robbenhaar, who had requested the 90-day sentence for his client, compared to the four to six months requested by the Crown.

The man — who was 19 at the time of the incident — instantly accepted responsibility for what happened, said Robbenhaar, has no criminal record, and the pre-sentencing report which was put together between entering a guilty plea and sentencing is a positive one.

According to the agreed statement of facts read in on Aug. 24, Brevan Arthur Barrieau was driving his motor vehicle at a high rate of speed on Dec. 22, 2016, travelling south on Dunmore Road, approaching Ravine Drive.

Crown and defence agree the speed was somewhere around 70 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

The vehicle was fishtailing in heavy traffic conditions on wet paved roads. Barrieau lost control of the vehicle, slid off the road, striking a 19-year-old man who was walking on the grass along the west side of the road.

When police arrived, Barrieau approached an officer, identifying himself as the driver, apologizing for the incident and thanking police for being there.

The delay in the case proceeding before court occurred as they were waiting to see the extent of the injury sustained by the victim, said the Crown.

The victim’s injuries included a substantial wound to his right groin requiring surgery which has continued reduced sensation, an injury to his shoulder and back that has made him unable to work for an extended period of time.

11
-10