UPDATE – A Kamloops man who was charged in a 2019 hit-and-run crash that killed three young Nigerian students in Nov. 2019 has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Reid McKnight pled guilty Friday morning to one count each of dangerous driving causing death and failure to stop at an accident causing death.
Back on Nov. 3, 2019, McKnight was driving a blue Ford pickup truck heading west on Battle Street when he blew threw a stop sign at First Avenue and Battle Street, hitting a Dodge Charger that was heading up First Avenue. Court heard Friday that McKnight was driving at 110 km/hr – more than twice the speed limit.
Feyisola David Adebowale, Daniel Okocha, and Kelvin Adeojo Oluwatosin were killed. Okocha and Adebowale were killed at the scene while Adeojo died nine days later in hospital. A fourth person who was in the Dodge survived the crash.
McKnight fled the scene and while he was briefly arrested by police hours after the crash, he wasn’t charged until ten months later, in September 2020.
“This was an extremely tragic event for the Kamloops community, particularly for the student body at TRU and its Nigerian population,” Kamloops RCMP Superintendent Sydney Lecky said, in a statement.
“The investigation that followed was complex and brought us to today’s court decision. Although we know nothing can undo what’s been lost with the lives of these men, or repair the sorrow and heartache suffered as a result, we hope today’s outcome will bring some solace to the victims’ families, friends, and community.”
Friday morning, B.C. Supreme Court justice Kathleen Ker accepted a joint submission on a three year sentence that was presented by defence lawyer Jeremy Jensen and Crown prosecutor Chris Balison.
McKnight was also facing unrelated firearms charges connected to weapons found by police while they were executing a warrant following the crash, however, those charges were stayed by the Crown.
In addition to the criminal charges, McKnight is also facing a number of civil suits filed by families of two of the victims.
RCMP say they’ve been in regular contact with the families, both in Canada and in Nigeria, keeping them updated on the situation. A few family members of some of the victims were in court via video conference Friday morning.
“While the investigation and subsequent court proceedings were a long and sometimes painful process for the families and the community, hopefully this guilty plea can allow a healing process to begin,” RCMP Sgt. Nestor Baird said, in a statement.
Once he’s released from prison, McKnight will have a 10-year firearms prohibition and a three-year driving ban.