A security guard from Montreal’s Hasidic Jewish community will face criminal justice for seriously injuring a motorist by driving wildly through a residential neighborhood to respond to an alleged emergency call.
“In a Ford transit, he drove in a manner dangerous to the public and caused injury to the victim, thereby committing a criminal act,” reads the denunciation against Moshe Heilpern.
According to information collected by The newspaperHeilpern, 29, was acting as a patrolman for the community when the tragedy occurred last August.
And that day, he received a call to urgently go to someone who was asking for help.
Fire burned
Quickly, Heilpern set off in his white van to get there as quickly as possible. Except that he would have started driving crazy, overtaking vehicles while changing lanes to end up in the opposite direction on Van Horne Avenue.
And when he allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of Avenue Du Parc, he hit a Nissan vehicle head-on, under the frightened gaze of witnesses.
A man who was in the struck car was seriously injured, to the point that, months later, it is still unclear whether he will ever be able to walk normally again.
Heilpern was also taken to hospital, but his injuries were less serious according to our information.
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Not police
The Montreal police quickly took up the investigation and carried out an assessment on Heilpern’s van, which was obviously not equipped with rotating lights like the patrol cars since he is not a peace officer.
A re-enactor then analyzed the scene and the file was forwarded to the Crown, who decided to lay a charge of dangerous driving causing harm against Heilpern.
The file was back at the Montreal courthouse this Wednesday, but it was unable to proceed.
“We need time to discuss with [l’accusé]», Said the lawyer who represented him this Wednesday.
Heilpern, who was released on bail shortly after his first appearance, will return to court in March for further proceedings.