Inquest begins into Sudbury contractor's death
It was emotional at times for the family of 59-year-old Ronald Lepage as the inquest into his death began.
Ron 'Ronnie' Lepage was killed after a workplace accident involving a dump truck at Vale's Copper Cliff mine site. (Cooperative Funeral Home)Lepage was working in April 2017 at the Copper Cliff refinery on Vale property. He was driving a dump truck when there was an incident with the liftgate.
Staff Sgt. Adam Walden testified his officer was told by Lepage that he had gotten out to inspect the gate when he heard air coming from underneath.
He went to check the situation when the truck lurched forward, pinning him underneath the vehicle.
It took first responders 45 minutes to free him from the situation.
"I got to see him, he was underneath the truck. He was talking and they were trying to lift it up and they weren't having any success at first," said his brother Tim, who worked with him at Cecchetto & Sons.
Tim, who worked as a heavy-duty mechanic, testified he was at the shop when he received the call that there had been an incident.
A co-worker drove him over to Vale to see his brother and then over to the hospital where Lepage later died from his critical injuries.
Due to Ontario law, the coroner must hold an inquest to look into the cause of death and what final recommendations can be made. In Lepage's case, they've convened a jury.
Crown counsel plans on calling 14 witnesses over a five-day period and a jury will make the final determination regarding his death.
Along with Walden and Lepage's brother, a health and safety expert testified along with an inspector from the Ministry of Labour on Monday.
Walden testified officers on the scene had found no level of criminality and no charges had been laid at the time.
Lepage left behind two adult children and two grandchildren, whom he had met a short time before the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed from Trump hush money trial as prosecutors seek to hold former president in contempt
A juror in Donald Trump's hush money trial was dismissed Thursday after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair and impartial, and the status of a second New Yorker picked for the panel was in limbo amid concerns that some of his answers in court may not have been accurate.