A $2,000 fine and five-year driving prohibition – that’s the sentencing that was handed down to the driver who struck and killed Gemma Snowball last year.
Kelowna resident Ryan Follack appeared in court on Tuesday for his sentencing hearing following his arrest on Aug. 11 after he failed to appear on the scheduled date of sentencing, Aug. 8, according to a press release from the New Westminster police.
Follack’s sentencing is the final step in a lengthy case, which began back in March of 2013 when Snowball, a deli counter employee at the old Royal City Centre Safeway, was struck while crossing at Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street late one rainy night.
The 25-year-old New Westminster resident, originally from Perth, Australia, sustained severe injuries and died in hospital on March 13, two days after the collision, as The Record previously reported.
Following an investigation by the New Westminster police’s traffic section, investigators determined the driver of the vehicle that struck Snowball had in fact made an illegal left turn when he hit her. Charges were submitted to Crown counsel for approval in December 2013 and nearly one year to the day, Crown charged 29-year-old Follack with one count of driving without due care and attention, and one count of driving without reasonable consideration for others.
In April, Follack pled guilty to driving without due care.
“Our thoughts go out to the Snowball family at this time,” Chief Const. Dave Jones said in a press release. “While nothing can bring Gemma back, we hope that the conclusion of these legal proceedings will provide her family with some measure of closure as they continue to deal with the tragic loss of this young woman in the prime of her life.”
Follack was scheduled to appear in court again today (Wednesday) to address his failure to appear at the original sentencing hearing last Friday.
