Guilty in JoJo's death

UPDATE: 11 a.m.

A Kelowna judge convicted 28-year-old Trevor Stocks of dangerous driving causing death, Tuesday, in a packed courtroom full of the 21-year-old victim's family and friends.

On the evening of May 22, 2015, Stocks was driving his Honda Civic on McCurdy Road near Morrison Road, when he lost control around a curve, crossed the centre line and struck Joselyn “Jojo” Casavant's Toyota Tercel.

Jojo died at the scene, while Stocks suffered a broken wrist and sternum.

During last week's trial, RCMP officer Sgt. Nightingale testified Stocks was travelling at 65-74 km/h when he struck Jojo's car, but he believed Stocks had been trying to slow down before the collision.

Stock's defence argued that his client's actions did not show a “marked departure from the standard of care of a reasonable person,” the bar required for a dangerous driving conviction, but Justice Ellen Burdett disagreed.

“This was not a momentary lapse in judgement,” Burdett said. “The speed Mr. Stocks was travelling at as he tried to negotiate the curve was neither inadvertent nor momentary, and that speed caused him to lose control and drive on the wrong side of the road.”

Jojo's father, Brian Casavant, said he was happy with the decision, as it helps provide some closure for the family.

“There's going to be some accountability here,” he said after the decision came down. “He was found guilty, that's all we can expect. Beyond that, the sentencing and everything isn't as important to us ... we've got we want.

“I don't think a whole bunch of time in jail is going to help (Stocks) out, being accountable is more important than serving a bunch of time in jail, the way I see it.”

Brian said the trial “re-scratched the old wound from when she first passed,” but overall the family is healing.

Jojo's two sisters became pregnant shortly after her passing.

“We've got two grandchildren, we're starting to refocus our lives in some other areas, but we'll never forget the blessing that our daughter was,” Brian said.

Anthony Kuchma, Jojo's brother-in-law, described her as “loving, caring and thoughtful.”

“She was so good at making impacts on people's lives,” he said.

Through the tragedy, Brian said they've relied on their faith to help them through.

“We know where she is, we know where we're going, and we're going to see her again one day,” he said.

Stocks will be back in court in March once a pre-sentence report is completed, and his sentencing date will follow.

ORIGINAL: 10:15 a.m.

The man accused of dangerous driving causing death after “the happiest girl you ever met” died in a crash has been found guilty.

Trevor Stocks, 28, was driving a Honda Civic when he crossed the centre line on McCurdy Road near Morrison Road on May 22 2015 and crashed into the Toyota Tercel driven by Joselyn “Jojo” Casavant.

The 21-year-old was killed.

The Crown relied on testimony from RCMP officer Sgt. Nightingale, who said by examining the crash scene, police determined Stocks was travelling between 65 and 74 km/h in the 50 km/h zone when he struck Casavant's vehicle, while Casavant was either stopped or moving very slowly.

The Crown argued that this, combined with Casavant's vehicle being pulled over to the far right side of her lane upon impact, shows that Stocks had been travelling in her lane for long enough that she was able to react, and try to avoid the oncoming vehicle.

A witness driving in the area when the collision occurred testified she had seen Stock's vehicle come around a corner, 50 metres before the location of the crash, driving too fast, and looking like he could be possibly losing control.