More than two months after a military veteran was struck and killed in an alleged hit and run on a Cape Breton highway, a 26-year-old man has been charged.
Thomas Smith left the Sydney courthouse Monday facing four charges in connection with the incident that killed 54-year-old Jackie Deveau.
“The four offences include driving while prohibited, as well as leaving the scene of an accident, criminal negligence causing death, and dangerous driving causing death,” says Crown attorney Shane Russell.
According to the RCMP, Smith was allegedly texting while driving.
Devou's family has been searching for answers since he was struck.
“It's the start of closure, I guess, because this is going to be a long haul,” says Ida Lelievere, Deveau’s sister.
Deveau served in the Royal Canadian Air Force for 35 years. His family says he was diagnosed with PTSD three years after participating in the Swiss Air cleanup.
According to family members, he was receiving treatment at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital the night he was struck on a nearby highway.
Why he was on the roadway is still a mystery.
“Jackie was a fair and just man,” says Lelievere. “We know and hope justice will be served. We have to do that for him. We have to do that to honour his memory.”
RCMP say more arrests are coming this week. Two other individuals have been charged with being an accessory after the fact.
Lelievre says her brother would want the family to focus on the good that has come from the incident.
“He would say, ‘Thank you very much for all who've given and continue to give,’” she says.
Smith has been remanded to the Cape Breton Correctional Centre. He will return to Sydney provincial court Thursday for a bail hearing.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
