The mother of an east coast man who was killed in an accident involving a snowmobile near Humber Valley Resort says she’s grateful she will finally be able to get some closure.
According to a release issued by the Corner Brook RCMP Wednesday morning, 27-year-old Thomas Whittle has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death, impaired operation of a motor vehicle with over 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood causing death, impaired operation by drug of a motor vehicle causing death and impaired operation by alcohol of a motor vehicle causing death.
Justyn Pollard, 21, died in hospital of the severe injuries suffered after the snowmobile allegedly driven by Whittle collided with a taxi on the road near the resort. The accident happened at around 4 a.m. the morning of Feb. 19, 2017.
“I’m ecstatic,” Sherry Pollard said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “I’m one happy, relieved mom.”
The original news release from police after the accident had indicated Mr. Pollard, who was from the Conception Bay South area, was driving the snowmobile.
“We’re going to get some justice,” said Sherry Pollard. “Somebody said my son was driving the Ski-Doo originally; everybody reported that. Now the truth has come out that Justyn wasn’t driving the Ski-Doo, and to me, that’s the most important detail.”
The investigation, which took a year, was done in conjunction with the Holyrood RCMP’s general investigation section.
Whittle is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Corner Brook on April 3.
Sherry Pollard said she will be at every appearance Whittle makes in court, except on April 3, because she doesn’t expect he will actually be there.
She’s currently in Ontario and said she wouldn’t waste her time or money attending if Whittle won’t be present.
She said she would have family attend on her behalf, however.
“But every other one, I’ll be there,” she said. “Front and centre. For my son.”
