Dahl pleads guilty in drunk-driving death Stettler man receives two-year jail term in connection with 2012 fatality The 21-year-old Stettler man charged after a teenaged girl died in a 2012 impaired-driving crash near Stettler has been sentenced to two years in prison. Trevor James Dahl pleaded guilty to being over the legal limit of 0.08 while driving causing death and to a breach of his recognizance in relation to the first charge in Red Deer provincial court last Thursday. Judge Gordon Deck handed down the two-year jail term, which is followed by a three-year driving prohibition. Koralea Boettger, then 17, was killed in the crash. She was a Grade 12 student at William E. Hay Composite High School.
Her mother, Janel Boettger, said in her victim impact statement that the debt Dahl will have to pay would amount to little for those who suffered. “We are all too used to a year or two in sentencing for DUI causing death,” Boettger said outside the courtroom. “Canadians need to tell the government that we want life to matter.” Court was told Dahl had been drinking at a party in Erskine on Feb. 11, 2012. In a two-hour timeframe, he had consumed three beer and three whiskey drinks. In a joint submission, Crown attorney Wayne Silliker and defence lawyer Andrew Fong
said Dahl was going to leave the party and that Koralea Boettger asked for a ride. At about 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 11 police were called to a collision on a rural road near Erskine. Police said a truck had left the road and gone into a stand of trees. Boettger, who police said wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time, was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene. An RCMP collision analyst said the car drifted into the opposite lane and gradually drove off the road and into the trees. The defence said Dahl had hit a patch of ice and didn’t want to jam on the brakes and flip the truck.
Police interviewed and arrested Dahl at the scene and demanded a blood sample. When Dahl didn’t provide a sample, police waited until he left the hospital and obtained a sample. Through retroactive sampling, it was determined that when Dahl was driving, he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.136. Six victim impact statements were read in court, including submissions from Koralea’s father, Allistair Stewart, as well as grandparents and other relatives. “Somebody needs to set a precedent for someone’s ill-advised decisions on a sentencing,” Stewart said. “Impaired driving causing death is murder.” — Black Press
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Seth Longjohn of the Ponoka Junior Broncs goes to great lengths to try to stop Stettler’s Keegan St. Denis during the Cougars’ 53-0 win Saturday in Stettler. See Page B1.
Stettler mayor back on the ballot RICHARD FROESE Independent reporter Most incumbents in the Town of Stettler are in the running for next month’s municipal election. While longtime councillor Leona Thorogood announced last winter that she would not seek reelection for a four-year term, the plate is otherwise full with current councillors. Mayor Dick Richards plans to seek another term as mayor. “I will run again for mayor,” confirmed Richards, who has served as mayor for four years and on council for 13 years. “The town has a number of major projects, such as upgrades to the Stettler Recreation Centre, and I owe it to council to follow them through. “I still have the passion. When the passion goes, I will go.” Longtime councillor Al Campbell also intends to throw his hat into the ring. “I know I represent seniors pretty well and I’ve contributed something to council,” said the 18-year council veteran. Campbell also praised
RICHARD FROESE/Independent reporter
Last February, Stettler Mayor Dick Richards received a Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal for his community work.
the outgoing Thorogood. “They will be very large shoes to fill,” he said. “She was a very dedicated councillor, among other things.” Coun. Peter Simons plans to again in a bid to get reelected to both the town and Clearview School Division board. “My intention is to run for both again,” said Simons, who has served on town council for three years
and Clearview for four-anda-half years. “It has its advantages, being on both the board and town council, and there needs to be co-operation between the two.” A first-term councillor, Malcolm Fischer, will throw his hat into the ring. “I plan to run again,” said Fischer, who topped the polls for town councillors three years ago. “For a second term,
I feel like I have made a contribution.” Steve Wildeboer will seek his second term on council, after serving three years. “I plan to run again because I enjoy it and I feel I have a lot more to contribute to the community,” he said. Darcy Bachman also plans to continue as councillor. He has served for four years. “I look forward to it and
many projects we started,” Bachman said. The nomination day is Sept. 23, while the election is scheduled for Oct. 21. County of Stettler All seven members of County of Stettler council appear up for the challenge in the October vote. Reeve Wayne Nixon has decided to ask for voters in Donalda-Red Willow ward to support him for a new
four-year term. “I’m going to run again,” said Nixon, who has served on council for six years, the past three years as reeve. “I’m still a rookie, despite my age, and I’ve enjoyed my time on council. Blake Chapman intends to continue to represent the Stettler ward. “I’m going to run again,” said Chapman, a veteran of nine years on council. “I was on council at the start of the raw-water distribution project and I want to see it through, which will be in about two years.” Joe Gendre is back in the ring to represent Erskine/ Buffalo Lake. “I’m going to run again,” said Gendre, one of the longest-serving councillors for the county. “We’ve done a lot as council over the last nine years I’ve been on council.” Greggory Jackson will run again in Botha-Gadsby for a second term. “I’m going to run again and hopefully get re-elected,” Jackson said. “I enjoyed my first term on council and feel more comfortable and experienced. I want to continue positive change and projects that the county started.” Lawrence Wilkie will again be on the ballot for Byemoor-Endiang. See ‘‘Dittrick’ on Page A3
Readers can also find the Stettler Independent at stettlerindependent.com