More than five years after a fatal crash on Shuswap Lake, a judge will decide the fate of the accused.
Supreme Court Justice Sheri Donegan will be passing judgment Wednesday, Sept. 23 on defendant Leon Michael Reinbrecht of Celista, who faces charges of dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily injury. The sentencing is scheduled to take place in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops at 9 a.m.
Reinbrecht, in his fifties, was driving an 18-foot Campion Runabout speedboat on July 3, 2010 when it crashed into a houseboat driven by 53-year-old Kenneth William Brown of Chase, killing him and sending eight others to hospital. The speedboat came to rest completely embedded inside the cabin of the houseboat.
The collision took place following a fireworks celebration in Magna Bay on the Canada Day weekend, which had attracted many boats.
Charges were not laid until 17 months after the collision, while police and Crown sifted through copious quantities of evidence.
Other delays in the proceedings included time for the defendant to secure legal aid funding, a change of lawyer for the defence as well as several hold-ups in the trial itself. The trial began in February of this year and was initially scheduled for six weeks but has stretched to more than six months.