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Man pleads guilty to impaired-driving crash in Abbotsford

Teen boy on scooter was injured in the September 2015 collision
3151abbotsfordBoyonscootercrashfile
Emergency crews were at Gladys and Essendence avenues on the morning of Sept. 26

A man involved in a crash that injured a teen who was riding a scooter has pleaded guilty to two of the seven charges he faced.

Jakob Warren Andrist Betsworth, 21, pleaded guilty on Oct. 13 in Abbotsford provincial court to charges of impaired driving and failing to stop at an accident scene.

The five other charges – including dangerous driving causing bodily harm and impaired driving causing bodily harm – are expected to be stayed at sentencing.

The collision took place Sept. 26, 2015 at about 12:30 a.m. in the area of Essendene and Gladys avenues.

A 13-year-old boy on a scooter was with a group of friends who were crossing east on Essendene in the crosswalk, when a Mustang – travelling north on Gladys – attempted to stop at a red light and skidded through the intersection.

The vehicle crashed into a southbound Dodge truck, driven by a 17-year-old girl, and then veered toward the group of teens. All were able to jump out of the way, except for the boy on the scooter. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Mustang then fled the scene on foot, but was caught a short distance away. A passenger in the vehicle remained on scene.

Betsworth’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place Dec. 28 in Abbotsford.



Vikki Hopes

About the Author: Vikki Hopes

I have been a journalist for almost 40 years, and have been at the Abbotsford News since 1991.
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