RCMP have laid criminal charges against an adult and a youth related to the Jan. 21 fatal head-on collision, about two kilometres north of Thompson on Provincial Route 391, that killed Simon Julien, 24, of Thompson, a young pilot with Missinippi Airways, when his 2007 Honda Civic collided head-on with a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Tyson David Tyler Brightnose, 19, of Thompson has been charged with impaired driving causing death; impaired driving causing bodily harm; driving with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood causing death; driving with more than 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood causing bodily harm; two counts of breach of probation; and two counts of breach of recognizance, says Sgt. Rob Collen, Thompson RCMP detachment media spokesman. The accident was reported around 7 a.m. Jan. 21.
The accident occurred between the horse stable road and the road to the cemetery, south of the Thompson Airport. Missinippi Airways is headquartered in The Pas.
Brightnose has also been charged with public mischief for attempting to mislead the police investigation. He has been remanded in custody to appear in Thompson provincial court Jan. 25.
A 16-year-old male youth will also face charges of public mischief for attempting to mislead investigators as to who the driver was, Collen said. No court date has been set yet and the youth has been released from custody. The youth cannot be named under the provisions of the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act.Julien, the sole occupant of the Honda Civic, was pronounced dead at the scene, and four occupants of the other vehicle sustained various non life-threatening injuries, police said.
Along with alcohol, speed is being examined as a factor in the crash, Collen said Thursday, and an RCMP collision analyst, has been brought into the investigation.
