Saskatoon man charged in dangerous driving death sentenced to 4 years

A four-year sentence was handed down Wednesday to a driver in a high-speed chase in Saskatoon last October.

Reece Terrance Fiddler, 21, of Saskatoon was convicted of evading police causing bodily harm, possession of stolen property and breach of probation.

The four-year sentence was a result of Fiddler's charge of evading police. He was also given a 60-day concurrent sentence for the other two charges. Given that the 60-day sentence was concurrent, his total sentence will be four years, according to Crown prosecutor Jennifer Claxton-Viczko.

He also received a five-year driving prohibition, she said. 

Fiddler was driving a stolen truck when he fled from police after they spotted him on the city's west end. The chase ended when the truck slammed into a fence near a high school.

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A 21-year-old passenger, Jordan Lafond, died in hospital following the incident. Fiddler was initially charged as being responsible for Lafond's death, but his charge of evading police causing death was downgraded to evading police causing bodily harm.

"We weren't in a position to prove that the accident — or the collision in this case — caused the death," Claxton-Viczko said. 

The reason Lafond's death couldn't be attributed to the crash was because of "intervening acts" carried out by Saskatoon police when they arrested him before his death, the prosecutor told CBC News.

At the time of the incident, Saskatoon police Chief Clive Weighill told media that Lafond reportedly resisted arrest. He said an officer then used his knee to subdue Lafond. An investigation was launched to determine whether the officer's use of force contributed to Lafond's death.

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Police found a rifle and a shotgun at the scene of the crash, which resulted in Fiddler being charged with weapons offences. However, those charges were stayed.

Fiddler entered the stolen vehicle only moments before the chase began, Claxton-Viczko said.

"Although he knew the vehicle was stolen and pled guilty to that count, he wasn't aware of the firearms until after."

Fiddler's initial 22-count list of charges was whittled down given certain evidence presented, lack of proof and duplications, the prosecutor said.