A preliminary hearing has been set for a 62-year-old man in connection with the death of Barnaby Provost last year.
Provost, 42, died in a crash on Highway 3 near Highway 509 on June 25, 2018.
He was driving westbound when his vehicle crashed head-on with a Toyota Corolla that was driving eastbound on the same side of the highway.
Provost died on his way to the Chinook Regional Hospital while his daughter, a passenger in his vehicle, sustained minor injuries.
Douglas Bagnall, the driver of the Toyota, was not seriously injured but was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Five months after the incident, Bagnall was charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 0.08 causing death.
Bagnall, who is from Lethbridge, failed to appear at three separate court dates and six weekly visits with police only to be arrested again after he was found at a city hotel.
He's been in jail ever since.
The court was told there were concerns about Bagnall's overall health, including issues about chronic alcoholism, but a forensic assessment determined he is fit to stand trial.
Provost's family and friends say they are frustrated and disappointed with the case because it took far too long to move forward.
"This is reliving a nightmare for the family, every time we have to be here," said Ryan Crosschild, Provost's friend. "We need closure."
"We have to keep coming back to this court," said Barnaby's mother Dila Provost. "Everytime we come, it brings it all back up."
Bagnall chose to be tried by judge alone and a preliminary hearing has been set for September 13.
The accused is expected to remain in custody until that time.
(With files from CTV Lethbridge's Terry Vogt)
