A 22-year-old Calgary man is facing six charges in connection to a crash that killed a 17-year-old Cochrane teen on Thursday night.
Police responded to a serious crash on Highway 22, 3 km south of Cochrane at about 6:10 p.m. on December 6.
Investigators say that a pickup truck was driving south in the northbound lane of the highway at the time and sideswiped two vehicles.
RCMP say it appears one of the vehicles took evasive action to avoid being struck and rolled into the ditch. The pickup then slammed head-on into a northbound sedan.
The driver of the sedan, 17-year-old Brandon Thomas of Cochrane, died at the scene.
"We are two weeks from Christmas. He's not going home. The accused, who knows what's going through his mind, it's poor decisions. It could have all turned out, it wouldn't even have happened. Make a call. get a friend, just don't drink and drive," said RCMP Sgt. Audrey Robinson.
Brandon was a student at Cochrane High School and was enrolled in the auto mechanic apprenticeship program.
"He was a grade 11 student that knew exactly what he wanted to do. He loved cars. He was in the registered apprenticeship program and was very, very excited to go to work everyday in that program," said Principal Susan Poole.
The driver of the vehicle that rolled off the highway, a 23-year-old woman from Calgary, was transported from the scene.
The other driver involved in the crash was not hurt.
Ryan Jordan Gibson, 22, the driver of the pickup truck, has been charged with:
- impaired driving causing death
- driving while over .08 causing death
- dangerous driving causing death
- impaired driving causing bodily harm
- driving while over .08 causing bodily harm
- dangerous driving causing bodily harm
Gibson was released from custody and will appear in Cochrane Provincial Court on December 18.
