Photo: Contributed

The man charged with being the driver who struck and severely injured a paper carrier in 2013 has elected to be tried by judge and jury.

Donald Brodie appeared in Kelowna court Thursday, where his newly hired defence lawyer and Crown counsel attempted to compile a list of witnesses. However, the matter was moved over until next week, when a judge will fix a date for trial.

The 35-year-old remains in custody on charges including criminal negligence causing bodily harm, impaired driving and resisting a peace officer. At the time of his arrest, Brodie was already in custody at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre for another matter.

Brodie, Nathan Fahl and Lisa Carlisle were all inside the car that critically injured paper carrier Steve Kania. However, Fahl was originally charged as the driver in the incident.

It is alleged Brodie later told police that he had been the driver when Kania was struck. Then, in June of 2014, Brodie addressed a hand-written letter to Castanet, mailed from KRCC, stating remorse for the events and accepting fault.

He did not, however, accept all blame and was critical of the police reaction to the incident.

No charges were laid against three RCMP officers involved in a high-speed chase leading up to the collision.

Crown decided that although the officers should have terminated, or not even initiated the chase, nothing they did was necessarily dangerous within the meaning of the Criminal Code.