Man pleads guilty to impaired driving in bride-to-be’s death

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Driving a stolen truck with meth in his system, James Lorne Hilton lost control on a highway near Portage la Prairie last winter and caused a crash that killed a beloved bride-to-be, court heard Thursday.

Hilton, 25, appeared in the Court of King’s Bench and pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene of the Jan. 15, 2025, collision that killed 28-year-old Kellie Verwey.

“This is a difficult day,” Crown prosecutor Mike Himmelman said as the proceedings began, addressing more than a dozen of Verwey’s family, friends and supporters who gathered in court to hear Hilton admit to his crimes.

Reading from an agreed statement of facts, Himmelman described how Hilton was driving westbound on Highway 26 on the morning of the collision when he veered into the opposing lane and caused another pickup truck to lose control.

Verwey crashed into the second truck and hit the ditch, where police later found her unresponsive and bleeding, Himmelman said.

“Hilton did not stop, did not provide identifying information and did not offer assistance.” Instead, he hitched a ride with a passing motorist and was dropped off at a nearby gas station where he phoned for a taxi, Himmelman said.

RCMP officers, who were tracking Hilton’s movements, identified the taxi company and managed to speak with the cab driver on the phone, instructing him to bring Hilton to a police station in Headingley.

Hilton, who could hear the conversation and was also communicating with police, gave them a fake name when asked for his identity. He then jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. He was arrested soon after, court heard.

“Upon arrest, Hilton stated words to the effect of, ‘I didn’t know what to do, that’s why I ran. The accident and the vehicle just looked so bad. I panicked,’” Himmelman said.

Court heard a blood sample taken roughly four hours after the crash found a “very high amount of methamphetamine” in his system. Investigators also recovered a small amount of meth and drug paraphernalia on Hilton’s person, and near the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle.

Dressed in a grey sweatsuit and restrained by shackles, Hilton remained largely silent in court Thursday, except when entering his plea and answering questions about the charges against him.

None of his relatives were present.

The Crown stayed several charges in exchange for the guilty plea, including dangerous driving causing death, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of methamphetamine.

Verwey’s mother, Meechelle Best, declined to comment on the plea Thursday, but said she was grateful the case would not proceed to trial.

Verwey’s family have previously described her as a kind, caring and ambitious person. She was planning a wedding at the time of the crash, and worked as tourism co-ordinator for the City of Portage la Prairie.

Her death sparked outrage and calls for bail reform after it was revealed Hilton was wanted on an arrest warrant at the time of the crash, owing to several breaches from other charges.

Best carried those demands to the highest level of government — speaking to lawmakers in Ottawa last October before the federal government introduced sweeping bail reform legislation.

Court of King’s Bench Judge Scott Abel will sentence Hilton at a future date.

» Winnipeg Free Press