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Driver who struck, killed teen cyclist pleads guilty to traffic charge

The driver who struck and killed 13-year-old cyclist Simon Khouri in Orléans in 2019 has pleaded guilty to careless driving causing death under the Highway Traffic Act, avoiding a criminal charge.

Khouri was on his way to meet friends when he was struck as he biked along Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard near Highway 174 on July 23, 2019.

The man behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck Khouri was 79 at the time of his arrest just over a year ago.

The man's lawyer, Mark Wallace, confirmed the plea to Radio-Canada on Wednesday, and said his client was not wearing his glasses at the time of the crash despite it being a condition of his driver's licence.

The man will now lose his licence for four years and must pay a $5,000 fine. Wallace said the Crown withdrew the criminal charge of dangerous driving causing death.

Christian Milette/Radio-Canada
Christian Milette/Radio-Canada

Khouri's death prompted family friends and cycling advocates to call for safety improvements to streets in the east Ottawa community.

Orléans Coun. Matt Luloff said in the days after the crash that shrubs would be trimmed and lines repainted at the intersection where the fatal collision occurred.