The decision in the James Randell case was read orally Friday at Court of King's Bench in Portage la Prairie. (Manitoba Courts)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Fatal crash on Manitoba highway results in five-year sentence for Shellbrook man

Jan 16, 2023 | 12:40 PM

A man behind the wheel of a semi truck that plowed into multiple vehicles on a Manitoba highway, causing two deaths and injuring over a dozen others, has received a five-year prison sentence.

James Randell, who was 56 at the time of the crash in July, 2020, was sentenced on Friday at Court of King’s Bench in Portage La Prairie.

On two counts of dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death, he received five years for each, but those sentences will run concurrently. He also received 30 months for five counts of dangerous driving cause bodily harm, which will run concurrent to each other and to the other charge.

Following his release from custody, Randell will be prohibited from driving for a period of 10 years.

The crash happened near Fannystelle, a small community 50 km west of Winnipeg. At the time RCMP said a semi truck failed to stop and drove into a lineup of stopped vehicles in a construction zone.

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A seven-year-old girl and a 61-year-old man were killed. The girl was a passenger in one of the parked vehicles, and the man was driving a motorcycle.

Among those injured were a 22-year-old woman and 14-year-old girl, who suffered serious injuries.

The case had originally been scheduled for trial however guilty pleas were entered last May and a pre-sentence report was ordered at that time. Sentencing submissions were then concluded last October, and decision ultimately reserved to Friday.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell