Driver charged in collision that killed teen

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This article was published 29/12/2023 (999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police have charged a 24-year-old Brandon man in connection with the death of a 15-year-old boy who was struck by a car while cycling in the intersection of Victoria Avenue and McDiarmid Drive in early October.

In October, police told the Sun that authorities anticipated laying charges against the driver, who remained at the scene after the collision and waited for police and emergency responders. He was not injured, but Antoine Sutherland, a Vincent Massey High School student, was killed.

The driver was charged Wednesday with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.

After a lengthy investigation by the Brandon Police Service traffic section, the forensic identification unit, and a collision analyst, it was determined that the vehicle was travelling more than twice the speed limit when it collided with Sutherland.

Shortly before 5 p.m. on Oct. 5, Sutherland was heading north on McDiarmid Drive when he was struck by a westbound vehicle. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Brandon police public information officer Sgt. Kirby Sararas told the Sun that fatal collision investigations take time, as police are required to consult with a Crown attorney before laying any charges. The prosecutor then must go before a review panel for charges to be determined.

“It is a process, it does take time, and then of course the investigation itself is very technical,” Sararas said.

She said a collision analyst uses forensic mapping devices and computer software to investigate the collision, and data pulled from a black box or data recorder in the car is used to obtain information like airbag activation, speed and brake application.

“The investigation itself takes a bit of time to ensure that we’ve got all the right pieces in place before we send it to the Crown,” Sararas said.

A sacred fire and a walk in memory of Sutherland, who was Indigenous and Ethiopian, were held the weekend after he was killed.

The teen’s death prompted discussion at city council in October, when Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4) requested the city and province work to conduct a safety review in the area where Sutherland was killed, as Victoria Avenue is under provincial jurisdiction.

A safety review of the intersection in 2019 found that daily traffic counts at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and McDiarmid Drive saw approximately 18,000 vehicles and 780 pedestrians and recommended that a pedestrian corridor be installed at any intersection where traffic volume exceeds 9,000 vehicle movements.

A pedestrian corridor was installed at the McDiarmid Drive and Victoria Avenue intersection in 2022.

In an email to the Sun, Cameron said he had received a small update from the city’s engineering department on the safety of the intersection, though it was done prior to the announcement of the charges being laid, which alleged that excessive speed was a factor.

The update said there are still things that can been done to improve the safety of the Victoria and McDiarmid corridor and that enhancements of crosswalks to increase sight lines and decision stopping distances, as well as education campaigns about crosswalks, will be explored by the city’s Vision Zero Task Force.

“The event was tragic and will continue to guide efforts to improve safety throughout the city,” Cameron wrote.

The 24-year-old driver was released after his arrest and is scheduled to appear in Brandon court on Feb. 26.

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