Morin up for bail in hit and run that left 11 year old with brain injury

Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Prince Albert, where Ledoux had a hearing on Tuesday. Herald File Photo

A man from Big River First Nation accused of running over a group of kids had a bail hearing Friday, when a prosecutor said he admitted to driving and told police he “heard the bump.”

The court also heard evidence that he was “grossly intoxicated” at the time of the crash.

Colt Morin, 20, is facing numerous charges from at least four separate incidents. The most serious was a hit and run on April 9, 2017, when a vehicle struck a group of children. At least three were injured, and one 11-year-old girl was rushed to hospital via air ambulance.

The girl was still in hospital as of April 28, the court heard. She sustained a brain injury and required surgery to remove pressure from her brain.

The children were walking along a ditch after playing soccer at their school on Big River First Nation. They told police that they spotted a white four-door vehicle driving “really fast.” The young girl, one of the kids said, “went flying through the air.”

Police responded to the scene and attempted to close down the road. At that moment, an officer noticed a while four-door vehicle bearing down on them. He said the driver appeared “grossly intoxicated,” but he did not immediately make the connection with the accident.

Statements from passengers in that vehicle later revealed that Morin was likely driving. A broken mirror also matched material left at the scene.

The RCMP continued their investigation and arrested Morin on April 12. He provided a statement to police, saying he “was scared.”

“I knew I had hit something. I was too scared to check – I was really scared,” the Crown prosecutor recounted him as saying. “I didn’t see any body, but I heard the bump.”

“I don’t have my drivers’ and the vehicle wasn’t registered. I was just scared of jail,” Morin continued.

But defence lawyer Mary McAuley said there were problems with that statement. She questioned whether it was truly “voluntary” and said she plans to raise Charter issues during Morin’s trial.

Morin is also facing charges for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend on two occasions, and for his suspected role in a home invasion.

Judge E. Kalenith said he required more time to come to a decision about granting bail. Morin is expected back in Prince Albert’s provincial courthouse on Tuesday.

For more on this story, see the May 6 print or e-edition of the Daily Herald.

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