A St. Albert man has pleaded guilty to a deadly hit-and-run collision that killed one man and injured three others.
Michael Beverly Gress, 37, pleaded guilty in a provincial court on Tuesday to manslaughter, three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm and hit and run in relation to a three-car collision in northeast Edmonton on March 12.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Gress had been drinking for more than seven hours and was travelling 87 kilometres per hour over the speed limit when he rear-ended a vehicle and sent it spinning into oncoming traffic.
The crash, which occurred around 1:30 a.m., killed one man and injured three others.
The document, read into court Tuesday, describes Gress drinking at a north Edmonton pub March 11 from 4:30 p.m. until just after midnight, when the manager stopped serving him.
Gress walked outside to his vehicle, a 2012 Dodge Avenger, but the manager escorted him back to the pub doors and called him a cab. The taxi arrived and the manager went back to work after seeing Gress talk to the taxi driver.
But instead of getting in, Gress sent the cab away and got into his own vehicle.
Two patrons tried to stop him from driving away, but Gress ignored them and nearly struck one with his vehicle. They called 911 to report an extremely intoxicated driver.
Gress then travelled to another pub, where he continued to drink. An hour after arriving he was again cut off and asked to leave due to his high level of intoxication. A witness saw him drive off and called 911.
A fourth witness called 911 after spotting Gress speeding north on 50 Street and suspected he was drunk. She came across the scene of the deadly accident shortly after.
As previously determined by the Edmonton Police Service, Gress, travelling westbound down 167 Avenue, rear-ended a Chevy Cavalier at a high rate of speed, sending it spinning into an oncoming Mitsubishi Lancer.
Russell House, 29, was thrown from the Cavalier. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
The driver of the Cavalier, Evan Cardinal, had to be extracted from the vehicle. He was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The Lancer driver, Kyle Yuhar, and passenger, Taylor Uganecz, were also extracted and taken to hospital. Yuhar had a fractured ankle, while Uganecz suffered a broken collarbone and a spine injury.
Gress, who was uninjured, fled the scene by foot before taking a taxi to his St. Albert home.
The court heard that Gress had been travelling at a speed of 147 km/h in a 60-km/h zone only a second before the crash.
It also heard that Gress was suspended from driving. He was also not allowed to consume alcohol, as part of an undertaking for four unrelated charges.
According to the Edmonton Journal, Gress has twice been convicted of impaired driving and has several speeding convictions.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2.
