Saskatoon man pleads guilty to impaired driving in crash that killed 25-year-old e-scooter rider

A Saskatoon man pleaded guilty to two charges in relation to a crash that killed a 25-year-old riding an e-scooter last summer.

Wade Scott Chaboyer was charged with fleeing the scene of an accident, operating a motor vehicle while impaired and operating a motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80 mg of alcohol causing death.

"[Chaboyer] entered a guilty plea to impaired operation of a conveyance or vehicle causing death as well as leaving the scene of an accident knowing or being reckless that death or injury had ensued," his defence lawyer Ron Piché said in an interview Wednesday.  

Chaboyer entered the guilty pleas in a packed courtroom on Tuesday. 

"It's a tragedy all the way around," Piché said. "No sentence is going to bring back the beloved one and I think emotions were running understandably high."

The crash happened on Warman Road near Circle Drive last June. Police said at the time that a car had been travelling northbound on Warman Road when it hit the 25-year-old.

Austin Walker was the man killed in the crash. His father told CBC last year that they were a tight knit family. 

"He was just a great, great guy," Chet Walker said in July 2024. "I just want him to be remembered, and I want this guy to know what he's done to us and what he did to my son."

"The victim in this case was very well liked and he had an excellent relationship with his family," Piché said. 

He said Chaboyer has not been able to go back to work since the crash, is remorseful, doesn't have a prior criminal record and wanted to spare the family a lengthy trial.

"This prosecution could have stretched on literally for 18 months to two years. Instead, it's coming to a pretty rapid close," Piché said. 

A sentencing date is set for July 30 at 2 p.m. at provincial court in Saskatoon. 

Piché said that the Crown and defence are close to reaching a sentencing resolution.