Man, 18, who pleaded guilty in Charlottetown hit and run was found after seeking car repairs
Sentence means Dion Jakaj will spend 30 days in jail, owes $1,300, can’t drive for a year
An 18-year-old Charlottetown man has pleaded guilty to hitting a pedestrian with his car and fleeing the scene after an accident in December of last year.
Dion Jakaj hit the man near the intersection of Doncaster Avenue and Richard Drive in the Sherwood area of Charlottetown. The accident left the pedestrian with "serious" and "significant" injuries, and prompted police to ask for the public's help to locate the unknown driver.
The court heard that the victim and his wife were walking in the residential area in the early evening, when it was already dark. The victim was wearing reflective clothing: a glowing running vest with lights on the front and back.
Jakaj hit the man with his car after driving up on the couple from behind. He then left the scene.
Neither the man nor his wife could describe the driver.
The man told police he remembers lying on the road and his wife saying, "You hit him, you hit him, and you didn't even stop" — but nothing after that.
He was taken to hospital with what Crown prosecutor Isis Hatte called "serious" injuries: a concussion, two broken vertebrae, a displaced knuckle requiring surgery, and blood clots in his leg. He was discharged 10 days later.
Claimed he went 'mudding'
Meanwhile, the agreed statement of facts said Jakaj took steps to conceal his crime.
Police found a piece of a black bug deflector labelled "Corolla" at the scene. They determined it had come from a Toyota produced between 2007 and 2012 and released that information to the public in the hope of soliciting leads.
That's when they received a Crime Stoppers tip that such a vehicle had been brought to an auto glass shop needing repairs.
Officers went to the shop and learned that the windshield of that car had been badly smashed and it "looked like a person or something big had gone through it."
Jakaj had told the person who worked on his car that he had gone "mudding" but the auto shop worker did not see any mud on the car.
Car previously owned by his father
Police eventually tracked the vehicle to Jakaj, who turned himself in and was charged with failing to stop at an accident that had caused bodily harm.
It was not made clear in court what factors led to Jakaj hitting the man wearing reflective gear. But after the accident, the court was told that Jakaj said he acted out of shock when he left the scene. He knew he had hit something, but didn't know what.
His actions following the accident are of some concern.— Isis Hatte, Crown prosecutor
The Crown noted that the shock might explain fleeing the scene, but it does not excuse the 15 days that elapsed between the crime and the day he turned himself in — something that happened only after an officer called his father, who was the previous registered owner of the car.
"His actions following the accident are of some concern," Hatte said, adding that Jakaj could have contacted police to inquire about what he might have hit.
'Positive future' for Jakaj, judge says
During the sentencing on May 7, Chief Provincial Court Judge Jeff Lantz described Jakaj's pre-sentence report as "very positive."
He moved to Canada in 2011 and has adjusted well to life here, court was told.
A youth worker at his high school described him as social, popular and respectful, while others noted he has excellent social skills, being outgoing and communicative. The court heard he is just starting a career in the trades.
He is the type of individual who, I expect, we won't see back in court again.— Judge Jeff Lantz
Jajak, who had two rows of family and supporters present at the sentencing, chose not to speak to the court.
Lantz said the victim was lucky he had someone with him when he received the "significant" injuries, or else his medical outcome could have been worse.
He also noted that the victim had submitted an impact statement which was not read in court, but highlighted the emotional impact of the crime and his injuries. He is still unable to work months after the accident.
Lantz accepted the joint recommendation of 30 days in jail, a year-long driving suspension and a fine of $1,300, saying Jakaj seemed to have a "positive future before him" and adding: "He is the type of individual who, I expect, we won't see back in court again."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
