4 — Wednesday, March 6, 1996 — North Shore News

Dangerous

Fram pase 1
Recovery House in Surrey.

Charles John Katona, now
20, pleaded guilty to danger-
ous driving causing
Woodside’s death. Woodside
was killed in the 200-biock of
Forbes Avenue in North
Vancouver on July 3, 1994.

Katona also pleaded guilty
to leaving the scene of an acci-
dent to escape criminal liabili-
ty.

B.C. Supreme Court
Justice Howard Callaghan
jailed Katona on Feb, 13. The
Judge also imposed a five-year
driving prohibition.

Said Callaghan in his rea-
sons for sentencing,
“Considering his (Katona’s)
drinking habits as they were
then...., it is reasonable to con-
clude that he may have left the
scene of the accident in order
to avoid the consequences of a
drinking and driving charge.”

Katona and some of his
friends had been drinking at
North Vancouver's Avalon
Hotel before leaving the pub at
2:30 a.m.

The judge said that Katona,
at the wheel of his father's
Ford Bronco, and five of his

LIONS GATE
HOSPITAL

| A Caring Community
Calendar

Maternity Sibling Tour
Sat. March 9 10:30AM
meet on 3 West

A tour led by maternity
nurses for children whose
moms are expecting an-
other baby. For info. call
984-5864.

. Headstart
Wed. March 13
7:00 — 9:00PM
Seminar A
A support group for
anyone who has suffered a
brain injury. Sally Scott
(clinical psychology
student) will report on
research concerning
“adjustment to disability.”
For info.rmation call Ellen
Woodrow at 984-3742.

Breast Self Examination
Teaching Clinic
Tues, 4:30 - 7:30PM &
Thurs, 10:00AM —100PM
For an appointment call
the Canadian Cancer
Society at 925-1952.

Asthtna Education Program
Tues. 6:00 — 7:00PM

Designed for all ages, the

program is limited to

4 people per session. To

pre-register call 984-3722.

Coping with Cancer
Support Group
Wed. 10:00 - 11:00AM
Chemotherapy Unit
For information contact

Joyce Auld 984-3709.

Relaxation Program
Thurs, 10:30 —12:00neon

Medical Day Centre
for persons with cancer
and /or caregivers. For
information contact
Joyce Auld 984-3709,

friends were all under the
influence of alcohol us they
made their way along Marine
Drive and up Third Street.

Katona tumed onto Forbes
and “strayed” over the solid
yellow line and into the
oncoming centre lane.

“t gather it (the Bronco)
did this on more than one
occasion.” said the judge.

Al the time. Toyota Tercel
driver Daniel Picard, 26, und
four of his friends were com-
ing up Forbes after attending
an alcohol-free dance at ue
Alano Club in Lower
Lonsdale.

The judge said Picard
noticed the Bronco move into
the oncoming lane. As their
vehicles got close, Picard
made the decision to veer
sharply and get off the road to
avoid the weaving truck.

But the Bronco stuck the
Tercel, fatally —_ injuring

Woodside, who was i passen-
ger in the back of the car.

Katona and his friends ran
off. Woodside was pro-
nounced dead at Lions Gate
Hospital.

Said Lewis on Monday,
“We were all) devastated.
Everyone ran around looking
for a reason ... It took a lot of
people a long time to get over
i”

Lewis said the relatively
short jail sentence sends out
the message that “it's OK to
do that kind of stuff and kill
somebody.”

Lewis said that if Katona
“gets his life together” as a
result of the cight months in
jail, the sentence is appropri-
ate. If not, she said the sen-
tence is a joke.

“Ryan was a sweetie ... He
had worked his buns off in an
adult world because at 16
years old there was no place

driver jai

for him to go but to a man’s
recovery house.”

She said Woodside went
from being an angry 16-year-
old to being a wonderful per-
son at the time of his death.

Justice Callaghan denied a
Tequest from Katona's lawyer.
Kevin Gillett, to use electronic
monitoring for Kantona’s jail
Sentence,

The judge noted Katona
had a serious alcohol and illic-
it drug problem at the time of
the fatal crash.

Callaghan said Katona's
driving record showed a
“complete and utter disregard
for the driving laws of this
province.”

In two years before the
crash, Katona had racked up
two 24-hour driving prohibi-
tions for drinking and
received nine Motor Vehicle
Act tickets, including three for

speeding.

NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP Const.
ished In 1994.

* 4 CYLINDER $
ENGINES

Plus Taxes

* 5 &GCYL 195
ENGINES ,

OFFER EXPIRES MARCH 31/96

EWS photo Brad
Kai Hildebrandt

surveys the crushed car in which Ryan Woodside per-