A Windsor man accused of careless driving causing death after a four-vehicle crash near Chatham in late May 2021 has found a new lawyer, but he wasn’t in court.
Brett Iler, 28, previously was instructed to be in Provincial Offenses Court in Chatham-Kent when his matter returned on Tuesday, following his previous lawyer requesting to be removed from the case last month.
Municipal prosecutor Brenda Mercer said she believed Iler was supposed to appear in court regardless of whether or not he had retained counsel.
However, his new lawyer Alexandra Cardella vowed for his absence.
She told the court Iler did tell her he was under the impression he had to attend the proceeding, but she told him he didn’t now that he’s hired a lawyer.
“That’s my mistake,” Cardella said.
Her request to add the case to May 17 to provide time to review disclosure was granted.
Iler is facing two counts of careless driving causing death and three counts of careless driving causing injury after Chatham-Kent police responded to a crash on Queen’s Line and Dillon Road on May 27, 2021.
He also faces six counts of careless driving.
According to previously published reports, Chatham-Kent police reported the Windsor man was traveling east on Queen’s Line when his vehicle collided with a pickup truck traveling west.
The man’s vehicle then collided with an older model Buick with five occupants which was following the pickup, police said.
Two occupants of the Buick were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The three other occupants were treated at hospital, police said.
A fourth vehicle was indirectly involved when it veered off the roadway to avoid the crash, police said.