Lethbridge Courthouse. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Man sentenced to five years for impaired driving death near Coalhurst

Jun 24, 2020 | 10:51 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A Lethbridge man has learned his fate almost exactly two years after an impaired driving collision.

Douglas Wilbur Bagnall, 63, of Lethbridge, pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death on Tuesday.

The collision occurred on Highway 3 near Coalhurst on June 25, 2018, just before 5:00 pm.

According to the Agreed Statement of Facts, Bagnall exited a rest stop near the westbound lanes of Highway 3 and drove eastbound on the westbound lanes of the highway.

Some witnesses testified that more than 10 vehicles swerved out of the way to avoid Bagnall.

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“Others told police they honked, waved and tried to signal to the driver of the car that he was in the wrong lane of travel.”

“Almost all of the witnesses who gave statements noted that the white Toyota Corolla maintained its lane and did not appear to respond to the many signals that it was going the wrong way,” reads a section of the Agreed Statement of Facts.

After travelling just over three kilometres, Bagnall’s vehicle collided head-on with a Chevrolet Impala driven by Barnaby Provost, 42.

Provost died shortly afterwards in Chinook Regional Hospital. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force injuries, which included “bruises and abrasions on the head, torso and extremities; skull fractures; rib fractures; and, fractures on the right middle finger, and left multiple fractures of the left leg.”

Medical examiners found no alcohol or drugs in Provost’s system.

Provost’s 12-year-old daughter was in the vehicle at the time but there was no mention of whether she suffered any injuries.

Bagnall told an EMS attendant that he drank around 26 ounces of vodka the night prior.

“Mr. Bagnall’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of driving was between 165 to 202 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood.”

He was sentenced to five years in jail.

With time served, Bagnall will remain in jail for three more years. Following his release, he will be prohibited from driving for another three years.