Arraignment delayed for driver charged in boy's death

JASON MAGDER

The Gazette

Saturday, August 02, 2008

The arraignment of a 25-year-old Kahnawake man arrested in connection with Wednesday's death of a 15-year-old boy will be delayed, a spokesperson for the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers said yesterday.

The man was expected to be arraigned Thursday at the Longueuil courthouse on charges of dangerous driving causing death. David Lahache, the acting public relations officer for the squad, said yesterday he didn't know why the arraignment was delayed.

Police said the boy, who was riding his bike along the Mohawk Trail, was hit by an SUV that had been the target of a chase with the Roussillon police moments earlier.

Roussillon police began the chase Wednesday night about 10:30 as the suspect failed to pull over after he ran a red light on Highway 132 in Ste. Catherine, about 1.3 kilometres from the reserve. The chase was quickly abandoned when the officer lost sight of the vehicle as it entered the Kahnawake reserve, Roussillon police spokesperson Constable Jean-Luc Robert said.

"The officer was ordered to stop the chase because she was alone and because she lost sight of the man," Robert said.

"The chase didn't last very long, about 30 seconds altogether." Lahache said peacekeepers continue to investigate the incident and more charges could be pending. The man is expected to be arraigned in the coming days.