Nearly two years after a crash on Marmot Basin Road that left an 18-year-old Jasper woman with severe head injuries and a 26-year-old Jasper man with drunk and dangerous driving charges, the Jasper Provincial Court pre-trial court date for the matter is now firmly set for this April.

David Watkin, the alleged driver of the crashed vehicle, appeared in Hinton Provincial Court on March 29, 2010 to inform the court that he has now retained a lawyer for the pre-trial.

His pre-trial date is set for a special sitting in Jasper Provincial Court on April 19-20.

However, Watkin also recently appeared in Jasper Provincial Court on March 26, 2010 and informed the court that he no longer had a lawyer to represent him in the matter. Without a lawyer, the likelihood that the pre-trail date would be pushed back, something that has happened numerous times, was a distinct possibility.

Judge Don Norheim rejected the idea that the pre-trial date should be pushed backwards.

“You can’t keep putting this matter off,” said Judge Norheim to Watkin. “You can’t play games like this. These are people’s lives we’re talking about here.”

Judge Norheim told Watkin that he had to appear every time court is in session in Jasper or Hinton until he has retained counsel.

Watkin then retained counsel on the first day of appearing in court on Judge Norheim’s order.

The pre-trial, open to the public, will determine whether or not a full trial into Watkin’s charges is necessary.

The charges against Watkin have had a long, interrupted history through the local court system.

At a February 26, 2009 sitting of Jasper court, the choice of court venue for the charges against Watkin was delayed because he was in Vancouver for four weeks to receive an unknown “treatment” for matters that were not specified in court.

Pre-trial hearing dates had been set for July, August and December of 2009, but as of yet, no pre-trial investigation into the charges has happened.

Watkin told Judge Norheim that part of the reason his court matters have been dragging on is because he lost a job. As well, he has switched lawyers and they have needed more time to familiarize themselves with his case.

According to Crown Prosecutor Kaj Jensen, Watkin had retained the service of a lawyer well over a year ago to deal with the charges, but that lawyer later dropped Watkin as a client. Since then, he has had some difficultly finding another lawyer.

Jensen said that the the only way the pre-trial date will change now would be if Watkin were to plead guilty to his crimes.

Watkin is charged with two counts of drunk driving related charges and one count of dangerous driving.

According to a RCMP news release, on June 1, 2008, a Mazda 3 car crashed into a retaining wall next to Marmot Basin Road, throwing the two occupants from the vehicle. They were found on the side of the road around 6:30 a.m. by a group of passing tourists.

Liza-Jane McAughren, 18 at the time of the accident, was severely injured in the accident and was in a coma for nearly three weeks afterwards.

Although McAughren is no longer in a coma, she has been diagnosed with a severe brain injury and is currently undergoing wheelchair based treatment at a mental health and brain injury treatment facility.

“The majority of rehabilitation in severe head injuries takes place within the first two years of the accident,” said Shelly McAughren, Liza-Marie’s mother.

“She is rehabilitating, but it’s very, very hard.”

Watkin also suffered serious injuries in the crash but is able to walk today.