A Nanaimo, B.C., woman has been charged with dangerous operation causing death following an incident on March 21, 2024.
Nanaimo RCMP said 24-year-old Jazmin Patenaude was driving in her truck in the parking lot of Woodgrove Mall, when she hit and killed an 85-year-old woman.
The woman had parked her vehicle beside Patenaude’s truck, exited her car, and began walking toward the mall. At the same time, police said Patenaude exited her parking stall, turned left, and struck the woman, knocking her to the ground.
Patenaude’s truck, which had been modified, police said, contributed to the woman’s death.
Police said the modifications included suspension lifts, oversized tires and tinted windows, and made driving in a crowded parking lot at a busy mall unsafe.
These modification were not part of the original design of the truck.
“The charge of dangerous operation causing death is a serious one,” Nanaimo RCMP said in a statement.
“It signifies that the person operating a vehicle, considering all the circumstances, poses a significant danger to the public.”
