Former BC Ferries navigating officer has pleaded not guilty
Posted January 9, 2013 4:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A former BC Ferries navigating officer has pleaded not guilty to criminal negligence causing death.
Karl Lilgert was charged after the Queen of the North sank in March of 2006, killing two people.
The ferry was on its way from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy when it hit the northeast coast of Gil Island.
Jury selection has concluded and the trial is set to begin next Thursday. It is expected last for months.
NDP Ferry Critic Gary Coons says this is a sad reminder to victim’s families. “They were my neighbours, they were my friends, they were kids I taught at school and it’s a tight knit community . People are just wanting to get some closure.”
Lilgert is the only person to have ever been charged in the incident. He and another employee Karen Bricker were previously engaged and were on the bridge deck when the vessel veered off course and sank within an hour and a half just after midnight.
Lilgert’s lawyer has stated in the past that his client does not believe that he has ever been criminally negligent.
Coons says there are so many questions out there and it’s bringing back a lot of tough memories. “Hopefully there will be some accountability at all levels of BC Ferries.”
