Woman convicted in crash that killed senior, injured two

Judge rules dangerous driving causing death in 2019 collision near High River

Failing to recognize a hazard as she raced along Highway 2 near High River constituted dangerous driving in the death of a senior, a Calgary judge ruled Friday in convicting an Edmonton woman.

Provincial court Judge Brandy Shaw convicted Jamie Tara Korby of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in connection with a July 17, 2019 crash.

Shaw noted Korby was driving her Ford Escort northbound on the highway at 170 km/h just moments before rear-ending a Lexus being driven by Susan Helfer.

Helfer suffered multiple bone fractures and complete memory loss of the crash which killed her mother, 85-year-old Wanda Mckay.

After sending Helfer's vehicle tumbling in the median before it came to rest on its roof in the southbound lanes of the busy freeway, Korby's car continued out of control, striking a Mazda being slowly driven on the shoulder. Catherine Oxley suffered a concussion and also had no memory of the crash after her car was struck by Korby's.

Shaw agreed with Crown prosecutor Kaitlin Perrin that Korby's driving was a marked departure from the standard of a reasonably prudent driver.

Defence lawyer Robin Mcintyre had argued Korby's speed alone didn't meet the standard necessary to prove dangerous driving.

However, Shaw said Korby had plenty of time to react to the events which unfolded before her, but didn't.

Oxley's daughter had gotten a flat tire in Nanton and she had gone there to exchange vehicles so her daughter could go to work.

With just a spare tire on the car, Oxley decided to drive on the highway's shoulder at just 20 km/h with her hazard lights on.

A cube van ahead of Helfer pulled over to the passing lane, as did Helfer, to avoid Oxley's car.

Shaw said Korby had 14 seconds to recognize the upcoming risk and six to seven seconds to slow down after Helfer, travelling at about the 110 km/h speed limit, moved into the passing lane.

A motorist trailing Korby from Nanton at the same speed to avoid being ticketed, said she was doing 160 to 170 km/ h on that stretch of highway.

“It was obvious at least six to seven seconds prior to the collision that Ms. Korby was approaching a hazard,” Shaw said.

According to her in-car data monitoring system, Korby only took her foot off the pedal two seconds before the crash and braked a second before contact.

A sentencing date will be set next week.