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Vehicular homicide plea delayed

A woman accused of killing a motorcyclist on Canada Day will have another month to decide how she will plead.

A woman accused of killing a motorcyclist in Langford on Canada Day will have another month to decide how she will plead.

Tracy Dawn Smith, 35, of Victoria is charged with dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving causing death, in the death of motorcyclist Janarthan Mahenthiran.

On Thursday, Smith’s lawyer Robert Jones said he has yet to receive full disclosure of evidence from the Crown. Crown prosecutor Christine Lowe said her office also has yet to receive all the evidence documents.

“This is a very serious case. It’s still under investigation,” she told the court. The judge agreed to give both sides another month.

Mahenthiran, 47, died when a oncoming Lexus crossed the line and hit his Yamaha FZ-1 head-on on the Trans-Canada Highway in Langford. The southbound vehicle plowed into him north of the Spencer interchange bridge at about 12:20 p.m. on July 1.

Smith, who struggles with drug and alcohol addictions, was arrested the same day after being checked out at Victoria General Hospital. She was also charged with breaching a previous bail condition, linked to an assault, of not possessing or consuming alcohol.

On July 14 she was released to VisionQuest Recovery Society in Surrey, an intensive addictions recovery centre. Her next court date is Sept. 15 at Western Communities Courthouse, when Jones expects to enter a plea for his client.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com