A Langley man has been jailed for two years after he was convicted on June 21 of dangerous driving causing the death of Noel Desrochers on April 19, 2008.
On his release, Corey Michael Elliott, 36, will be prohibited from driving for three years and placed on probation for two years. He was also fined $400.
Elliott was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound in the 21000 block of 48 Avenue when he rear-ended a 1979 Ford Fairmont driven by the 62-year-old Desrochers.
The collision, which occurred at about 10:20 p.m., forced the Fairmont off the road where it overturned. Desrochers, who was alone, died at the scene.
According to Langley RCMP, the Fairmont sustained extensive rear end damage, while part of the front bumper of the Cherokee, including the licence plate, was torn off the vehicle and left at the scene.
Langley RCMP spokesman Cpl. Holly Marks recounted that immediately after the collision, an on duty security guard noticed the badly damaged Cherokee which was steaming and trailing fluids. The guard followed the trail to a residence in the 20300 block of 43 Avenue.
Elliott was arrested at 8:30 a.m. the following day.
Elliott was originally charged with dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and dangerous driving. A stay of proceedings was entered on the last two charges.
The crash occurred in a year during which 15 people died on Langley roads.
A 16th casualty was Silas O’Brien who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run incident on March 13, 2008.
That case, police said at the time, was being investigated by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, and for that reason was not included as a traffic death.
O’Brien, 21, was killed moments after the pickup truck in which he and two friends were traveling westbound on 16 Avenue was forced off the road by a Ford F250 pickup truck.
Police allege that the driver of the Ford then turned around and drove his vehicle towards O’Brien and his friends, Sam Dooley and Luke Stevens, who had all climbed safely out of their ditched vehicle.
Dooley and Stevens managed to jump out of the way, but O’Brien was struck. He died at the scene.
The incident occurred in the 25800 block of 16 Avenue at 2:30 a.m. on March 13 as the three friends were driving to Seattle to catch a flight to Hawaii.
Brent Donald Parent of Langley has been charged in O’Brien’s death. His trial opens on Sept. 12 in B.C. Supreme Court, New Westminster.