Toronto man found not guilty in pedestrian fatality in 2015

Toronto man Gideon Fekre has been found not guilty in the death of a 31-year-old woman who was killed on a Leslieville sidewalk in 2015.

Justice Peter Bawden found the Toronto man, who was 18 at the time, not guilty of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death on Tuesday afternoon in Ontario Superior Court.

On April 20, 2015, Kristy Hodgson was walking her two dogs on Dundas Street East near Carlaw Avenue when she was struck by Fekre's vehicle.

The judge's decision brought several friends and family members of Hodgson to tears in a Toronto courtroom on Tuesday afternoon.

Kristy Hodgson's husband left the courtroom screaming and her father, John Hodgson, told reporters he doesn't believe justice was served.

"The guy should be put in jail. He killed somebody," John said. "And he killed somebody because he wasn't watching the road." Hodgson said.

"Everybody loved Kristy. I've been a basket case since this happened."

Fekre was driving his mother's black Honda Civic when it left the eastbound Dundas Street East lane, swerved across the bike lane, climbed the curb onto the sidewalk and struck Hodgson, before he rear-ended a pickup truck and came to a stop. One of Hodgson's dogs was also killed.

Fekre claimed his attention was diverted away from the road by a water bottle that had fallen on the floor of the car near the brake pedal. In what was described as a "reflex" reaction, Fekre looked down towards the bottle before returning his eyes to the road.

Fekre and his lawyers did not speak to reporters after the decision was handed down.