Carol Berner found guilty
Posted July 27, 2010 12:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – Carol Berner is guilty on all counts. That’s the verdict from a Surrey Provincial Court judge.
Berner was charged after four-year-old Alexa Middelaer was killed and her aunt was severely injured when they were hit by a car while feeding a horse at the side of a Delta road in 2008.
The Crown says Berner admitted to an undercover police officer that she had three glasses of wine before getting behind the wheel that day.
Her lawyer claimed there was a possibility the crash had been caused by mechanical failure. However, Berner’s Surrey trial included testimony from experts who checked the car after the crash had found no sign of mechanical problems.
Alexa’s mother Laurel says the ruling marks a great day for B.C. “I think the people in this province will realize we have very little tolerance for people who practice such reckless behaviour.”
Since the accident, Middelaer’s parents have campaigned for tougher drinking and driving punishment, which has contributed to B.C. now having the stiffest impaired driving penalties in Canada under what’s been called “Alexa’s Law.”
Berner will be sentenced November 8th.
