Trucker, company charged in fatal highway crash near Wawa

WAWA — A transport driver, and its company, have been charged after a fatal highway crash last year.

The two-vehicle incident happened on Nov. 29, 2022, near the intersection of Highway 17 and Highway 519, about 40 kilometres north of Wawa, when a southbound transport collided with a northbound pickup truck.

The crash resulted in the death of Christian Casavant, a 33-year-old from Wawa, who was a passenger in the pickup truck.

An investigation conducted by provincial police, along with Alberta Transportation and the Edmonton Police Service, has led to several charges being laid.

Gagandeep Singh, a 23-year-old from Edmonton, has been charged with careless driving causing death, failure to remain, five counts of failing to maintain a daily log, six counts of failing to record malfunction code information, six counts of failing to ensure an electronic device was in good working order, two counts of entering inaccurate information in a record, and several counts of exceeding drive time limits.

Anttal Transportation Ltd., based in Edmonton, has been charged with 12 counts of permitting a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle not in accordance with regulations.

Both are scheduled to appear in a Wawa court in October.

As well, a 30-year-old from Edmonton has been charged with obstructing a peace officer, and is due to appear in a Wawa court next month.

The charges have yet to be tested in court.