REGINA -- Charges have been laid in the death of a young woman who was struck and killed while working as a flag person in a construction zone in southern Saskatchewan.
RCMP announced Monday that they have charged Keith Dunford, 44, of Regina with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.
Dunford is to make his first court appearance Tuesday in Weyburn provincial court.
The charges come almost two months to the day after Ashley Richards was hit near Midale, southeast of Weyburn. The 18-year-old, who was originally from Lakeside, N.B., was working on a highway crew when she was struck by an SUV.
"It's imperative that we do a proper investigation," Sgt. Paul Dawson told reporters.
"As part of this we have a reconstructionist that comes. This is not something that's done immediately at the scene. It takes time to do that, so that's part of the process. Personally, I don't think two months is a long time for a serious offence like this.
"As well, we also consulted with the Crown on the appropriate charges."
Motorists are required to slow to 60 km/h when passing workers and equipment in construction zones in Saskatchewan.
Dawson said RCMP enforced the law before the accident, but Richards' death prompted police to begin blitzes in the busiest orange-signed construction zones.
"In the months of September and October, our dedicated traffic units have written over 400 tickets in the orange zone. That doesn't include tickets written by regular detachment members, so that's quite a lot of tickets that have been written for that one offence," said Dawson.
"That's solely for speeding over 60 in the construction zone -- over 400 tickets."
In one case on Thanksgiving weekend, traffic officers near Maidstone said they clocked an SUV going 134 km/h in a construction zone.
