A man accused of causing a crash that killed a Vernon auxiliary RCMP officer, has pled guilty to two of the charges against him.At the start of his B-C Supreme Court trial, Michael O'Brien pled NOT guilty to counts of criminal negligence causing death and causing injury, but guilty to possession of stolen property and failing to stop for police. By entering that plea, O'Brien admits to stealing a Chevy
Silverado pickup truck that crashed into an RCMP cruiser after a short chase, on November 13, 2004.The collision killed 39 year old auxiliary officer Glen Evely and seriously injured Constable Frank Grenier. In her opening statement to Justice Alison Beames, Crown Counsel Paige Johnstone said blood tests show O'Brien had cocaine in his system which may have impaired his judgement. He also had a small amount of marijuana in his system but no alcohol. She says traffic experts will testify the stolen truck was travelling at between 66 and 76 kilometres an hour, and went through a red light, at the time of the crash. He also gave police a false name at the time.A total of 41 witnesses will testify for the Crown over the two week trial, incouding several bar patrons who saw the crash and its aftermath. Defence lawyer William Mastop plans to argue it was a case of dangerous driving not criminal negligence. Dangerous driving carries a maximum prison sentence of five years while criminal negligence can bring a life sentence.
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