Charges approved in death of RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett
Kenneth Jacob Fenton facing 5 counts, including impaired driving causing death
Criminal charges have been approved against Kenneth Jacob Fenton in the high-profile traffic death of RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett earlier this year on Vancouver Island.
Fenton is facing five counts, according to B.C.'s Criminal Justice Branch:
- Impaired driving causing death.
- Flight from police causing death.
- Dangerous driving causing death.
- Driving with a blood alcohol content in excess of 80 milligrams.
- Refusing to provide a sample of his blood.
Beckett, 32, was killed in the early morning of April 5 when the marked police car she was driving was struck by a pickup truck in the Victoria suburb of Langford, B.C.
An eyewitness reported seeing a speeding truck seconds before the crash. Jordan Coons rushed to the scene of the accident and attempted to help two officers free both drivers from their vehicles.
"They were just mangled," said Coons at the time. "His truck was right on top of her. His bumper was right inside her window."
Fenton is being sued for a separate single-vehicle roll-over accident which occurred outside Victoria one month later. A female passenger in a truck Fenton was driving is asking for damages and loss of income suffered as a result of her injuries.
Fenton was also charged with impaired driving in 2010. He was found guilty of the lesser offence of driving without due care and attention.
An 11-year veteran of the RCMP, Beckett is survived by a husband and two young children.
Thousands of people, including many police officers, emergency responders and military personnel, attended her funeral.
Fenton has been released with conditions and is scheduled to appear in curt Oct. 27, 2016.
