(Joliette) To save a family of ducks crossing a busy road in Lanaudière, Éric Rondeau pulled up at the controls of his F-150 and then drove in the wrong direction at low speed. A “voluntary” maneuver that Crown said killed a 19-year-old motorcyclist coming from the other direction.
Posted at 5:49 p.m
Éric Rondeau’s trial opened Monday at the Joliette courthouse before a jury of 11 men and 3 women. The 47-year-old man is accused of causing the death of Felix-Antoine Gagné by driving dangerously for the public in Sainte-Élisabeth near Joliette on July 22, 2019.
A family of ducks is at the center of the unusual circumstances of this deadly collision that occurred on Route 345, a major road in the region. It all started with Éric Rondeau’s decision to stop his F-150 pickup just before a bend to let a pole and its chicks pass. A video showing this striking scene in its entirety will be presented to the jury.
However, Éric Rondeau’s criminal act, in the eyes of the crown, was committed after he stopped in front of the birds. According to the Krone theory, the defendant made a “voluntary gesture” by then finding himself driving slowly in the oncoming lane. An expert will come to court to say that the accused was then driving at 18 km/h in a 70 km/h zone, prosecutor Me Alexandre Dubois said.
“Meanwhile, the victim is riding his motorcycle. He drives in his lane and faces the accused Éric Rondeau. According to the Crown’s thesis, it was Éric Rondeau’s voluntary maneuver that caused the death of Felix-Antoine Gagné,” Crown Prosecutor Me Alexandre Dubois said in his opening statement to the jury on Monday afternoon.
PHOTO BY DOMAINEFUNERAIRE.COM
The victim, Félix-Antoine Gagné, 19 years old
According to Crown, the defendant’s “voluntary manoeuvre” to drive in the wrong direction at low speed represented a marked departure from behavior that a reasonable person would have adopted in the same circumstances. In order to establish the accused’s guilt, the Crown must prove that Éric Rondeau drove in a manner dangerous to the public and that his driving contributed significantly to the victim’s death.
The prosecutor also insisted on a point with the jury: “This is not about the trial of the victim, Félix-Antoine Gagné. This is the trial of the defendant Éric Rondeau. Don’t forget that,” concluded Me Dubois, who works with prosecutor Me Jade Coderre.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Crown Attorneys Me Alexandre Dubois and Me Jade Coderre (left)
Felix-Antoine Gagné, 19, was on his way to Berthierville to train at the time of the accident. He lived with his mother in Sainte-Élisabeth and started a new job as a roofer, Me Dubois summed up.
The first witnesses in this short three-week trial will be heard on Tuesday. However, the focus is on the video, which shows the entire accident and is presented to the jury. An “impartial, neutral and silent” witness, recalls Mr Dubois. Two accident reconstruction experts from the Sûreté du Québec and the victim’s mother and uncle will also be summoned.
Me Richard Dubé defends the accused. The trial will take place before Judge Marc-André Blanchard of the Superior Court of Quebec.