Nicholas Miklic was convicted Tuesday of a traffic offence of careless driving over a year after the rental van he was driving collided head-on with a car, killing Jonathan Sobol and Alec Bracegirdle on Aug. 30, 2016.
READ MORE: Starbelly chef Jonathan Sobol killed in Irricana crash
While she found Miklic profoundly remorseful, Judge Heather Lamoureux said “his view was obstructed by the semi-trailer” and “he passed while he was unable to see around the truck.”
“This goes beyond a mere error in judgment,” Lamoureux said.
She found him guilty of careless operation of a motor vehicle “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Sobol was the chef at Starbelly restaurant and Bracegirdle was a videographer. They were returning from a photo shoot when they were hit as the cube van passed a semi-truck on Highway 9, south of Irricana, Alta.
Watch below from Dec. 20, 2017: The man driving a truck involved in a 2016 crash that killed a well-known Calgary chef and an up-and-coming videographer near Irricana went to trial today. Tony Tighe has the details.
It was a legal passing lane on a section of road with a long s-curve.
The passing lane on that section of road has since been changed to a no-passing area.
READ MORE: Driver who killed 2 Calgary men near Irricana will only face a traffic fine: RCMP
Crown prosecutor Ron Semenik called it a “tragic case from the beginning.”
“I think it’s a reminder that good people can make mistakes, but we’re all ultimately accountable for our mistakes,” Semenik said.
“You are ultimately responsible for your actions on the road: cars can kill.”
The victims’ parents were in court Tuesday and expressed relief in the judge’s decision.
“We’ve seen signs that (Miklic) has been remorseful and we don’t really feel our son would like heavy punitive measures taken against him,” said Alec’s father, Phil Bracegirdle.
Jonathan’s mother, Gina Sobol, added she was happy with the conviction.
“It’s very, very positive,” she said. “It’s a relief.”
Sentencing will be set at a later date.
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