A lifejacket from the Queen of the North ferry floats in the waters of Wright Sound near Hartley Bay, B.C., on March 22, 2006. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Richard Lam
January 17, 2013 - 1:00 AM
VANCOUVER - The navigation officer aboard a B.C. ferry that sank off the northwest coast of B.C. seven years ago will stand trial beginning today for the deaths of two passengers.
Karl Lilgert is charged with criminal negligence causing the deaths of Gerald Foisy and Shirley Rosette, who were killed after the Queen of the North ran aground and sank in the early hours of March 22, 2006.
Lilgert has pleaded not guilty and will stand trial before a jury in B.C. Supreme Court in a case that is expected to last months.
Lilgert's lawyer, Glen Orris, has previously told The Canadian Press that Lilgert will argue any mistakes that he made the night of the sinking didn't amount to criminal negligence.
Charges were sworn on March 16, 2010 — four years after the incident — with a preliminary inquiry in May 2011.
The sinking also triggered a class-action lawsuit, which BC Ferries settled in 2010 for $354,000, which was split between several dozen passengers and their lawyers.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013