A young Saskatchewan man avoided losing his licence in an Alberta court after being clocked driving 94 km/h in a small-town school zone in September.
Twenty-year-old Cole Terrance Warner pleaded guilty to one count of speeding through a school zone during designated times by way of an in-person appearance at Boyle Court of Justice Oct. 22.
“I come from Saskatchewan, and I just got a job up north here. I’m unfamiliar with this route,” Warner told court. “I wasn’t aware of the 100 (km/hr zone) and then as soon as you get into town, there’s a school zone.”
Justice Robert Shaigec accepted Warner’s guilty plea, but not without a warning for the young man and all other drivers on the roads.
“I understand that school zones in rural locations sometimes catch motorists by surprise,” said Shaigec. “But as a driver, you and I have the same duty, which is to not be surprised, it’s to be alert.”
Warner, a rig welder, reached an agreement with traffic Crown prosecutor Sheila Ries; in exchange for a guilty plea and payment of $1250 in fines, Ries did not seek a licence suspension.
“While there were children present in the school zone, there are no other aggravating factors,” said Ries.
Shaigec gave Warner until Dec. 23 to pay his fines, with a penalty of 10 days in jail upon failure to pay.
“The arrangement you’ve reached with the prosecutor is a fair one, which is that you suffer the consequences of a very serious financial penalty, but not lose your licence,” said Shaigec.