Ontario Court Justice Romuald Kwolek has set aside paramedic Shani Larrett’s careless‑driving conviction and ordered a fresh trial for the 2022 ambulance‑snowplow crash that killed patient Connie Halverson... The decision stems from the lower court’s failure to consider key testimony about whiteout conditions and the driver’s perceived distance to the snowplow.

Justice Romuald Kwolek overturns 2022 Wawa ambulance conviction

In a written ruling released yesterday, Justice Kwolek concluded that the justice of the peace who heard the original case did not address Larrett’s evidence of due diligence, including why she believed the snowplow was farther away. The appellate judge noted that without analysis of that evidence, it was unclear whether it had been accepted or rejected. As a result, the provincial offences matter returns to trial.

Whiteout conditions and snowplow driver testimony omitted

The appeal highlighted two pieces of evidence that the lower court ignored: Larrett’s claim that blowing snow from the plow created a brief whiteout, and the snowplow driver’s statement that he did not see the ambulance in his rear‑view mirror until the siren sounded.. According to the appeal filing, these facts could have altered the perception of distance and reaction time.

Potential penalties under the Highway Traffic Act

If reconvicted, Larrett faces fines ranging from $2,000 to $50,000, up to two years in prison, and a possible five‑year suspension of her licennce, as stipulated by the Highway Traffic Act. Her defence lawyer , Anthony Orazietti, argued that the original conviction overlooked the exigencies of emergency‑vehicle operation in extreme weather.

Family's $1 million civil suit against Larrett and AD SAB

In 2023, relatives of Connie Halverson filed a $1 million lawsuit against Larrett and the Algoma District Services Administration Board, which oversees regional paramedic services. The civil claim remains untested in court, but it underscores the broader fallout from the tragedy and the demand for accountability beyond criminal sanctions.

Will new evidence shift liability?

The upcoming trial will allow both prosecution and defence to present the previously omitted whiteout and driver‑visibility evidence. Observers note that the outcome may hinge on how the jury interprets the interplay of hazardous weather and emergency‑response protocols,a question that remains unresolved.