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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ex-cop's son gets plea deal for car crash

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 08/15/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

CRIMINAL charges have been dropped against a Winnipeg man who left the scene of a high-speed Charleswood car crash in the company of his father, a recently retired city police officer.

Michael David Trakalo, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the Highway Traffic Act offence of careless driving and was given a $1,250 fine under a joint recommendation from lawyers. In exchange, more serious offences of impaired driving and dangerous driving stemming from the September 2008 incident were stayed.

Kerry Unruh, a prosecutor brought in from outside Manitoba to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, said there were several problems with the case, including late disclosure by police to Trakalo's lawyer, delays in getting the matter to court and conflicting witness statements about the description of the driver.

By striking the plea bargain, Trakalo removed any doubt he was behind the wheel of his father's Oldsmobile Alero when he crashed at an "extremely high rate of speed" in excess of the posted 50 km/h limit on Charleswood Road, court was told. Trakalo rolled through two ditches, took out several trees and smashed into a van that was parked on a residential driveway more than 50 metres from where he first lost control.

Residents rushed outside and found a confused Trakalo bleeding from the face. He repeatedly asked witnesses to call his father, whom he identified as a police officer. Ron Trakalo was a narcotics investigator who had recently retired.

Lawyers told court Tuesday the elder Trakalo picked up his son at the scene. Witnesses previously told the Free Press they spoke against the father taking his son and urged them to wait until authorities arrived. Police confirmed at the time they were investigating the ex-officer's action but gave no other information or update.

Police had originally charged Trakalo with impaired driving even though they had no breathalyzer or blood-alcohol reading.

Defence lawyer Jay Prober told court Tuesday his client is a Type 1 diabetic who suffered from low blood-sugar levels at the time he lost control.Trakalo suffered a broken nose in the incident.

"This has caused no end of angst for him and his family," he said. His client had no criminal record and one offence for running a stop sign.

Provincial court Judge Robert Heinrichs accepted the deal but said there was still some mystery surrounding the incident. "I don't know what all happened that night," he said.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 15, 2012 A4

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