A Westlock man involved in a collision north of the town last summer that resulted in the death of a semi-truck driver from Calgary was fined $2,000 and given a 90-day driving licence suspension last week.
At Westlock Court of Justice on Feb. 28, Larry Tiedemann pleaded guilty to failing to proceed safely after stopping at an intersection under the Traffic Safety Act.
According to previous reporting by the Westlock News, at approximately 2:58 p.m. on June 6, 2023, a westbound black Ford F-150 proceeded into the intersection between Highway 44 and Highway 661, approximately 23 kilometres north of the town of Westlock.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Dirgo indicated that Tiedemann was operating the Ford F-150, which was struck on the passenger side by a southbound 2007 Kenworth T600 semi-truck.
“The accused proceeded when it was unsafe to do so, therefore causing the collision,” Dirgo said.
He said the Ford F-150 spun in the intersection while the semi-truck hit the ditch near the Dapp Corner Store.
As reported in the Westlock News, the truck flipped onto the roof, while its trailer unit came to rest on its side. Westlock and Athabasca RCMP officers, along with members of the Alberta RCMP Traffic–Westlock unit, responded to the scene alongside emergency medical crews and firefighters.
However, the driver of the semi – a 35-year-old man from Calgary – succumbed to his injuries on the scene.
The joint submission for sentencing from both the Crown and defence was a $2,000 fine, inclusive of a victim fine surcharge, plus a 90-day driving suspension.
Tiedemann’s defence lawyer said this was a serious misjudgement on the part of his 51-year-old client, which ended in a “very tragic result.”
He noted his client was working as a Boston Pizza delivery driver at the time and has since lost that job.
He said Tiedemann is living in the Rochester area and this 90-day suspension will be “particularly onerous” for a person living in a rural area with no public transportation. Tiedemann added that he is currently looking after his mother, who has dementia.
Justice Jordan Stuffco gave him until March 8, 2025 to pay the $2,000 fine.
