A Barrie judge found Andrew Fallows, resident of Sebright, Ont. guilty earlier this week for his involvement in a crash that caused the death of Shania Slater, 18. The accident happened in 2014 in Oro-Medonte on Highway 11, 3 a.m. in the morning.
A jury found him guilty of:
- Impaired driving causing death
- Criminal negligence causing death
- Impaired driving
- Dangerous operation causing death
The verdict was reached after having heard that his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit, his blood was on the steering wheel airbag and cracked windshield, and Slater's blood and hair was on the passenger side.
However, some of the accounts of what happened don't add up. While interviewed by police, Fallows said he was driving, but then his story changed and he said a third person was driving. Defence argued that Fallows wasn't reliable to tell the facts of the story, seeing as he suffered from a head injury and memory loss.
In addition, the judge reminded the jury that the police conducted a canine search to validate Fallows' third person story, however they were unsuccessful.
At the time of the accident, Fallows had no licence, insurance, and had a previous conviction for impaired driving, leading the judge to point out that he is "at a risk to reoffend."
Fallows will be sentenced on October 10th, 2017.
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