A woman accused of leaving the scene of a deadly accident near Fredericton will have her court appearance delayed by three weeks. Vanessa Ricketson, 27, faces charges in connection with the death of a 19-year-old man from Norton. She was supposed to choose a trial method in Fredericton provincial court on Tuesday.
Allegations state that she drove away after fatally hitting the man, who had stopped on the Trans-Canada Highway near Oromocto to change a tire. During the court session, Ricketson was absent, with defense attorney Shane Hill representing Emily Cochrane. Hill requested a postponement to allow time for evidence disclosure, and Judge Lyne Raymond rescheduled the hearing for September 1.
The victim remains unidentified by the police, who mentioned his safety precautions, including pulling far off the highway, wearing a reflective vest, and activating the vehicle’s four-way flashers. RCMP did not confirm if Ricketson was the individual of interest mentioned shortly after the March 19 incident. Ricketson faced charges nearly four months after the event and is currently not in police custody.