SQ officer charged with dangerous driving in death of 5-year-old
Nicholas Thorne-Belance died following crash involving unmarked police car
A Quebec provincial police officer charged in connection with a collision that killed a five-year-old Longueuil, Que. boy last year intends to plead not guilty, according to his lawyer.
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The officer, Patrick Ouellet, has been charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death in connection with the high-speed crash that killed Nicholas Thorne-Belance.
Ouellet's lawyer, Nadine Touma, appeared briefly in a Longueuil court today on her client's behalf and said he intends to fight the charge.
Thorne-Belance died after an unmarked police car travelling at 122 km/h in a 50 km/h zone slammed into the side of a sedan driven by Mike Belance, Nicholas's father. Belance's 10-year-old stepdaughter was also in the car.
Nicholas Thorne-Belance died in hospital five days after the crash.
Initially, prosecutors declined to pursue charges.
But Quebec's Justice Minister asked independent prosecutors to re-examine the case back in November. The charge was announced in May.