A court hearing for a woman accused of leaving the scene of a deadly accident near Fredericton has been delayed by three weeks. Vanessa Ricketson, 27, faces charges related to the death of a 19-year-old man from Norton. Originally set to choose a trial method in Fredericton provincial court on Tuesday, Ricketson was absent in court.
Allegations suggest that she drove away after fatally hitting the man, who had stopped on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway near Oromocto to change a tire. Defense attorney Shane Hill, representing Emily Cochrane, requested a postponement to allow for evidence disclosure, and Judge Lyne Raymond rescheduled the hearing for September 1.
The victim remains unnamed by the police, who mentioned his safety precautions of pulling far off the highway, wearing a reflective vest, and activating the vehicle’s four-way flashers. The RCMP did not confirm if Ricketson was the person of interest identified shortly after the March 19 crash.
Ricketson faced charges almost four months after the incident, and authorities stated that she is not currently in their custody.