A man facing charges in connection with a horrific head on crash in Wingham in September of 2014 appeared in a Goderich Superior Court on Monday.
Joshua Fryer pleaded guilty to 4 counts which include Criminal Negligence Causing Harm, Attempted Theft, Theft and Drive While Disqualified.
Crown Counsel told the Court that on or about September 14th 2014, Fryer had been at a friend's house in Blyth when at some point he approached a vehicle outside a store, jumped into the drivers seat and attempted to steal the vehicle but was unsuccessful after a brief struggle with the vehicle's owner.
The Court then heard that Fryer made his way to a nearby residence where a 2008 minivan was parked in the driveway, keys still in the ignition. Fryer hopped into the vehicle and made his way north on Highway 4 (London Rd.) toward the small village of Belgrave.
Witnesses had reported seeing the vehicle drive along Highway 4 at very high rate of speed.
Fryer continued northbound, according to Crown Counsel's statement of facts, and drove straight through a red light at the intersection of Highway 4 (London Road) and Highway 86 in Wingham at which time Fryer crossed into the southbound lane and struck Marsha Benninger's pick up truck head on.
The resulting damage from the collision was catastrophic, according to the Crown. The recorded speed at the time of air bag deployment in the stolen minivan was 108 mph or 173km/hr.
Due to the crash both Fryer, who was driving the mini-van, and the driver of the pick up, Marsha Benninger, were seriously hurt.
Benninger was nine months pregnant at the time and the unborn baby did not survive.
Fryer will be sentenced in Superior court on June 30th, 2016 at the Huron County Courthouse in Goderich.
