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THE HURON EXPOSITOR, June 23, 1999-5
Lebeau decision set for October
By Amy Zo.thout
Goderich Signal-Stor. staff
A final decision in the
Sarah LeBcau trial will not
he reached until October,
court was told last
Wednesday.
Justice Tom Granger
adjourned the trial following
the.completion of closing
arguments Wednesday until
Oct. 8 when he will make
his ruling on the area
woman's trial which began
last September.
LeBeau faces II charges
resulting from the fatal
crash that•killed four area
youths. The 22 -year-old
Brucetield woman has been
charged with four counts of
impaired driving causing
death, .four counts of
criminal negligence causing
death, one count of impaired
driving causing bodily
harm, one -count of criminal
negligence causing bodily
harm and one count of
driving over the legal limit.
The crash occurred in the
early morning hours. of Nov.
24,- 1996, when LeBeau's
1995 Camaro left Huron
County Road 31 north, of
Varna, crashed into an
embankment and rolled onto
its roof before coming to
rest on its wheels near the.
Bayfield River.
Killed in the crash were
Neal Atchison and Pamela
King of Clinton and Brian
Hill and Mark Webster of
Stanley Township. Both
LeBeau and Brandon
Gardner, of Vanastra,• were
seriously injured in the
crash.
• Crown attorney Bob
Morris presented his closing
arguments Wednesday
morning.
Morris said evidence
presented in court proves
"beyond a reasonable
doubt" that LeBeau was the
driver when her car left the
road that morning.
•Witnesses testified they
saw' LeBeau in the driver's
scat when her car left a
going. away party held at the
home of Bev and Shirley
Hill near Varna. Further
witnesses testified LeBeau
was found at the scene of
the accident with her feet in
the driver's footwell and her
upper body outside of the
driver's door.
"...four witnesses describe
Sarah .LeBeau's lower
extremities either caught or
trapped in the •driver's
footwell area," said -Morris,
adding that testimony was
also given as to the
difficulty emergency crews
had extracting her from the
footwell arca.
The Crown contends the
' driver of the vehicle would
have sustained severe lower
extremity injuries because
the major impact occurred
when the left front corner of
the car hit an embankment
while travelling more than
150 km/hr.
LeBeau was the only
occupant to.,sustain such
severe lower extremity
injuries. said Morris.
"None of the other .
occupants had as severe
lower extremity injuries as.
Sarah." he added.
Testings done on the
driver's air •bag found
deposits of saliva containing
the DNA of LeBeau;
according to Crown
evidence. Two black
deposits of what 'was said to
be mascara were found'
above the saliva in the
location of where two eyes
would be, said Morris.
"lt is the position of the
Crown that when the air bag
deployed in this case, it was
like a photograph being
taken," said Morris. "This
photograph,providcs us with
a picture of the driver."
Morris told the court that
the morning of the accident,
LeBeau was operating her
car with "wanton or reckless
disregard for the lives or
safety of others."
LeBeau testified earlier in
the trial she was familiar
with the curve on County
Road 31 leading down to a
bridge that crosses the
Bayfield River. She also
testified she always drove
slower on this section of
road. '
Based on further evidence
given at the trial, Morris
said LeBeau consumed
alcohol -at the party ,and at
the time of leaving . the
party, LeBeau allowed five
other occupants into her car
which was designed for four
people.
"This situation resulted in
overcrowding, which 'may
have affected herability to
operate the motor vehicle,"
said Morris.
Travelling at an estimated
152 km/hr, evidence given
from investigating officers
stated the driver oversteercd
the curve, and Morris said
"driver action caused the
loss of control." -
.Despite LeBeau's
awareness of the, potential
danger of this road, Morris
said LeBeau "operated a
motor vehicle under the
influence of alcohol and
Council
begins
budget
process
Council was expected to take
its first look at the 1999/budget
at its meeting last night but a
mill rate should be available
much more quickly _ than last
year.
Administrator • Jack
McLachlan was to review -the
budget with council last night
with councillors expected to
bring back any concerns or
comments for discussion at the
following meeting on July 13 at
which time a final budget could
be approved.
Last year, council had to wait
for provincial funding_ formulas
to be worked out, following a
year of major overhauls of how
funding is distributed at the
provincial level, before it could
set a mill rate. .
Group
should be
careful what
is wishes for
From Page 4
. our boundaries. We have
more in common with Perth.
which recently restructured
to a two-tier system:I f Huron
wants to look at bigger
savings, it should seriously
consider amalgamating with
a' neighbouring county: -one
with which we already share
•administration for our
education system -- both
public and separate boards --
and which our hospitals and
- health care are involved'with.
If that's what might
eventually happen, then
would it not make more
•sense to have a compatible
two-tier system'' Why does
this - group not ask its
• neighbours in Perth, why it
ent two-tier?
This- groap-should-.be
careful of what it wishes for
because it might,just happen.
And once •Huron went one -
tier, it would very unlikely
ever change back. ' What
would follow shortly would
he the closing of hospitals,
schools and arenas which
Would be easier to justify if.
Huron was one big
municipality.
(,urge this one -tier group in
Huron and the ratepayers to
trust• your local politicians,
whom you elected, to do. •
what is in your best interest
Please attend your local
restructuring meetings to
both listen and participate in
• the decision-making process.
it will be better for the future
of Huron to have decisions
made locally, rather than
dictated to us.
Sincerely,
David Scott
Mayor,
Town of Seaforth
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