Man fined for traffic deaths
Father of Calgary man killed says law ‘creates zero accountability’
The penalty for the driver who killed two Calgary men as he tried to pass a truck is a $233 fine, leaving the victims’ families and friends frustrated.
Mounties say the 23-year-old driver of a rental truck that passed a tractor-trailer on Highway 9 near Irricana Aug. 30 and slammed into a vehicle, killing Alec Bracegirdle and Jonathan Sobol, wasn’t guilty of a criminal offence.
He was charged with a traffic offence of passing unsafely — in this case where there was a bend in the road — and was slapped with a fine.
Bracegirdle’s father, Phil, noted that penalty doesn’t even include a court appearance.
“This creates zero accountability in our eyes ... we need to understand the driver understands the gravity of what he has done,” Phil Bracegirdle said.
“We are left feeling empty and hollow.”
Bracegirdle, 20, and Sobol, 33, were on their way to a pork farm northeast of Calgary when the crash occurred.
Sobol was a chef at the Calgary restaurant Starbelly. Bracegirdle was a web content developer who was to shoot video at the farm.
The Bracegirdle family doesn’t want severe punishment for the unnamed driver but, given the huge loss, would like the offender to appear in court to at least address them, said Michael Tighe, Alec’s employer and friend to both of the deceased.
“They don’t want to see this young man’s life ruined because two lives have already been ruined,” Tighe said.
“Even just a mandatory court appearance would help ... I don’t know if he’s mourning or has lost sleep like I have. We don’t even know if it matters to that person.”
He said the truck driver and his family are also probably hurting.
That’s out of Mounties’ hands, as is laying a criminal charge in a case not involving impaired driving or intent, said Sgt. Glen Demmon of Beiseker RCMP.
“I can understand their anger and frustration, but I can’t make something up,” Demmon said. “The decision isn’t something they want to hear.”
But the Mountie said he’s willing to meet with the grieving families to discuss the situation.
Tighe said both men were passionate and excelled at what they did, but will never have the chance to reach their full potential.
Sobol was going to propose to his girlfriend last weekend during a vacation they had booked, he added.
“She found the ring a couple of weeks ago in their house,” Tighe said.
“Every hope and dream she had involved Jonathan.”