A Repentigny man is on trial for killing a 19-year-old motorcyclist by causing a violent face-off as he tried to avoid… a family of ducks.
On July 22, 2019, Félix-Antoine Gagné was riding a motorcycle on Route 345, in Sainte-Élisabeth, in Lanaudière.
He was traveling in his own lane when, in a curve, he came face to face with Éric Rondeau’s van.
The latter was traveling in the opposite direction and the motorcyclist had no chance: he perished on impact.
Éric Rondeau, 47, faces a charge of dangerous driving causing death. His jury trial began on Monday at the Joliette courthouse.
Photo taken from the website domainefuneraire.com
Felix-Antoine Gagne. Victim
At the time of the tragedy, the accused had just seen a duck and her little ducklings pass on the road in front of him.
He then immobilized his vehicle, activated his emergency flashers, then turned into the opposite lane, avoiding the birds. At the same time, Félix-Antoine Gagné appeared on his motorcycle.
The Crown prosecutors, Mes Alexandre Dubois and Jade Coderre, will try to demonstrate that it was the accused’s change of path that was fatal for the victim.
Indeed, following having crossed the double line to find himself in the opposite lane of the curve, the accused would have circulated there at very low speed, that is to say at 18 km/h. The speed limit on this road is 70 km/h.
“According to our theory of cause, the circumstances of the voluntary maneuver of the accused who found himself in the way of the victim constitute a marked departure from the behavior which a reasonable person, placed in the same circumstances, would have adopted”, indicated Me Dubois in the hearing room.
In addition, the latter warned the jury that a “particular”, “impartial, neutral and silent” witness would be at the heart of this trial: a surveillance camera.
The violent collision was indeed filmed in its entirety, he explained.
The video will be shown to jurors during the trial.
The Crown must call two reconstructionist experts.
These will further explain the circumstances of the face-to-face, i.e. the trajectory of the vehicles, their speed, but also the perception and reaction time of the people involved.
The accused is represented by Me Richard Dubé. The trial judge is Marc-André Blanchard.
