Motorcyclist and daughter killed when woman braked on highway to avoid hitting ducks

JamesBondo

House Member
Mar 3, 2012
4,158
37
48
I have a 42 year old harley that I can still buy parts for. If it was a 42 year old honda, it would be parts that i couldn't sell.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
Back to the topic, This woman testified that she checked behind before she stopped and turned on the hazzard lights and went to see about the ducks, intending to take them home. She said the traffic was light. She admits being at fault but but I think the motorcycle driver is responsible for most of this accident. He obviously had enough warning to stop but it looks like he kept his speed up
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
17,135
33
48
just because someone ends up being a victim doesn't mean they weren't wrong
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
24
38
Calgary, AB
just because someone ends up being a victim doesn't mean they weren't wrong

Exactly. Yeah death for speeding isn't "just" but neither is trying to crucify this woman, who at most deserves a traffic citation. The rider of the bike was irresponsible, not only with his own safety, but also with his daughters'. Its harsh but that's the way it goes sometimes when you engage in high risk activity.
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
17,135
33
48
Exactly. Yeah death for speeding isn't "just" but neither is trying to crucify this woman, who at most deserves a traffic citation. The rider of the bike was irresponsible, not only with his own safety, but also with his daughters'. Its harsh but that's the way it goes sometimes when you engage in high risk activity.
she has to live with it... if this goes through perhaps she should sue for emotional distress...if a person dies by another's hand due to a personal bad choice the living still have to deal with it...it's a harsh penalty to pay for someone due to poor judgement all around
 

jjaycee98

Electoral Member
Jan 27, 2006
421
4
18
British Columbia
Back to the topic, This woman testified that she checked behind before she stopped and turned on the hazzard lights and went to see about the ducks, intending to take them home. She said the traffic was light. She admits being at fault but but I think the motorcycle driver is responsible for most of this accident. He obviously had enough warning to stop but it looks like he kept his speed up
In Alberta it is perfectly legal to be out on any road, double or four lane, or Township line road. We lived along a four lane. Amazing how many accidents there were-both Motorcycles, cars and trucks that just ran into the back of a Farmer's machinery as he was moving from one field to another.
Should not be classed "high risk" activity to follow something moving at about 10 KPH or to know you should slow down. The vehicle was stopped with hazard lights going? Come on!
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
This woman was convicted of two counts of dangerous driving causing death. She could be going away years. I think the accident was mainly caused by the motorcycle driver. The thing is that she was not driving the car when it was hit.
 

TurkRugger

Time Out
Jun 6, 2014
19
0
1
Well, it all depends on the circumstances. Did she break really hard, thus not allowing enough time for the biker to react?
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
Well, it all depends on the circumstances. Did she break really hard, thus not allowing enough time for the biker to react?


Doesn't matter, when you are driving the onus is on you to be able to stop in time regardless of the circumstances!
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
25,756
295
83
riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight, cause stopping in the left lane of a provincial highway and doing a walk about is really no big deal. :roll:
 

Sal

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 29, 2007
17,135
33
48
She was found guilty.



MONTREAL - A woman who stopped to help a group of ducklings on the side of the road shed tears Friday as she was found guilty of causing the deaths of a motorcyclist and his passenger daughter who slammed into her parked car.

The lawyer for Emma Czornobaj said his client was in shock after she was convicted by a jury on two counts of criminal negligence causing death and two counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Czornobaj, 25, was charged in the deaths of Andre Roy, 50, and his daughter Jessie, 16, on a Montreal-area highway.
She wiped away tears when the verdict was delivered to a packed courtroom in Montreal.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Eliane Perreault asked each of the 10 men and two women on the jury whether they agreed with the verdict and they replied unanimously in favour.

The jury reached its decision as it entered its fourth day of deliberations on Friday.
Czornobaj was released until her pre-sentence hearing on Aug. 8.

She did not say anything to reporters and walked quickly by them in the courthouse corridor, holding up a newspaper to hide her face. Her mother was at her side.

Criminal negligence causing death carries a maximum life sentence while the charge of dangerous driving causing death comes with a maximum of 14 years in jail. Czornobaj has no previous criminal record
.
Pauline Volikakis, whose husband and daughter were killed in the collision, briefly fought back tears when she left the courtroom.
She refused to speculate about a possible sentence, saying she just wanted to get on with her life.

"It's been difficult," said Volikakis. "But it's finished. We're moving on other things (and) we hope it will go well.

"I don't wish misfortune on anyone," she added. "It's time that we go on. This will not bring (back) my loved ones."

Volikakis was on another motorcycle behind her husband when the collision happened. She was driving more slowly and managed to avoid injury.

A provincial police officer testified at the trial that Roy, whose speed was estimated to be from 113 km/h to 129 km/h when he applied his brakes, collided with Czornobaj's car at between 105 km/h and 121 km/h.

The jury was told the speed was higher than the prescribed 90 km/h limit on the road.

Roy's motorcycle slammed into Czornobaj's car, which was stopped in the left lane of a provincial highway in Candiac, south of Montreal.

His daughter was riding on the back of the motorcycle when the collision happened on June 27, 2010.

The trial heard that Czornobaj, who had three years' driving experience at the time, had stopped to rescue ducklings on the side of the road.

The professed animal lover told the court that she did not see the ducklings' mother anywhere and planned to capture them and take them home.

Czornobaj testified that she turned on her hazard lights and put on the parking brake.

The unemployed financial analyst also left the driver's side door open and the engine idling, which showed she wasn't expecting to be stopped very long.

Defence lawyer Marc Labelle, who is considering an appeal, said his client was stunned by the jury's decision
.
"The fact that she was involved in the accident in the first place was a hard experience for her," he said. "The fact that she had to go through a trial with a lot of publicity was tough and to be confirmed by 12 citizens, the jury, that the conduct was criminal is a hard blow."

Labelle, who has been a lawyer for around 30 years, pointed out that the case was a unique one.

"It's the first time I do a trial where it is obvious that there is no criminal intent," he said.

"It's rare that we have a criminal negligence dossier where there are no bad elements," Labelle noted. "It's not someone who is taking a chance while driving drunk, it's not someone who is speeding."

Outside the courtroom, Crown prosecutor Annie-Claude Chasse publicly thanked the jury for their work.

"We do have a lot of respect for all the work of the jury," Chasse said. "They did not have any easy questions to answer."
The Crown attorney also had a message for motorists.

"What we hope is that a clear message is sent to society that we do not stop on the highway for animals. It's not worth it."

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/jury-convicts-quebec-woman-stopped-ducks-guilty-death-145538320.html
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
6,182
0
36
Ottawa