Just because police deem someone is at fault in a fatal crash, that doesn't mean they are guilty of a criminal offence.
That clarification comes from Chatham-Kent Police Chief Gary Conn who says dangerous driving causing death is a criminal code offence while careless driving charges are laid under the Highway Traffic Act.
"Was the person, prior to the collision, driving in a highly dangerous manner, a high rate of speed, weaving side to side?" says Conn, describing some of the things officers will look for when they're considering laying a dangerous driving charge.
The critieria for careless driving is much different.
"As opposed to a marked departure from the norm, careless driving surrounds more of an undue care or attention to the roadway," says Conn. "The person is not necessarily speeding or weaving all over the road, but for whatever reason, there was a lapse in attention to the roadway."
Conn made those comments after a 33-year-old North Buxton man was recently charged with careless driving after a fatal collision involving a woman on a mobility scooter in Blenheim.
