Chages laid in fatal crash
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A woman is dead and a man is charged with impaired driving causing death after a car crash near Yellowknife Sunday morning.
One person was killed when this car left the Ingraham Trail and ended up in a pond about 20 kilometres east of Yellowknife on Sunday morning. The deceased has been identified as Yellowknife resident Karen Lafferty, 30, originally from Behchoko. Joshua Moore, 29, has been charged with impaired driving causing death and was being held for court today. - Robin Grant/NNSL photo |
The victim has been identified as Karen Lafferty, 30, originally from Behchoko. She died after a car left the Ingraham Trail and ended up in a pond about 20 kilometres east of Yellowknife, not far from Prosperous Lake.
According to Dennis Marchiori, director of public safety for the City of Yellowknife, a call to emergency services came in about 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning from a passerby about a car in the water. The city responded with two ambulances and a rescue vehicle.
Marchiori said three people were transferred to Stanton Territorial Hospital by ambulance. He added it was his understanding there were four people in the vehicle at the time. It was not clear whether the driver went to hospital. Marchiori said the rescue truck is equipped with the Jaws of Life. He added he wasn't sure if the victims had to be cut out of the vehicle. The conditions of the other victims have not been made public.
NWT chief coroner Cathy Menard confirmed the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital. The body has been flown to Edmonton for a post-mortem to determine a cause of death, Menard said.
According to a news release from RCMP, Joshua Moore, 29, is charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm, driving causing death impaired driving and driving with a blood alcohol level over .08. He was being held in custody for a court appearance today. Police have not said where Moore is from.
Behchoko Chief Clifford Daniels said Lafferty left the community several years ago and eventually moved to Yellowknife. He added her large extended family is well known in Behchoko.
"Obviously everyone was caught off guard and are kind of in shock," said Daniels. "It's really hard for the family - they are grieving," Daniels said.
The Behchoko leader said it's painful to hear the death may have been caused by impaired driving.
"Everybody has a loved one they are concerned about," he said. "It's always scary to hear that they are getting into vehicles where there is drinking possibly involved. That's always dangerous. There are always other ways to get around, safer ways."
Daniels said Lafferty was raised by her grandparents in Behchoko after her father died when she was very young.
Yellowknifer reached out to Jackson Lafferty, MLA for Monfwi which includes Behchoko.
"Sorry ... too sensitive to speak on and out of respect for the Lafferty family (I) will not speak on this matter," he responded in an e-mail.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
