Dangerous driving trial reveals camper van's 800-metre wrong-way dash that injured five on Highway 1
Dashcam footage from Sept. 21, 2022 showed the moment a driver on the Upper Levels Highway entered an off-ramp going the wrong direction into oncoming traffic, colliding with multiple vehicles.
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A criminal trial underway in North Vancouver provincial court revealed dashcam footage of the moments just before a camper van drove 800 metres the wrong way on the Upper Levels Highway and collided head-on with multiple vehicles, injuring five people.
Alexandra Georgson, 32, faces five charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm in connection with the collision on Sept. 21, 2022. The facts of what happened are not being disputed: Georgson entered the highway on an exit ramp and drove her 1979 Chevrolet camper the wrong direction into heavy oncoming traffic, passing "highly visible red and white 'no-entry' signs" warning drivers they were going the wrong way, according to Crown counsel Lisa Dumbrell. Once on the highway, she didn't stop or pull over on the shoulder.
The collision was a chain reaction. Brian and Cathy Ayearst were in a Silverado pick-up truck; two brothers, Brinnon and Quinton Spence, were in another vehicle. All attempted to swerve to avoid the van before being hit and rolling off the road. In the dashcam video clips played in court, witnesses appeared confused and alarmed as the camper van barrelled toward them.
The key issue in the trial is Georgson's mental state at the time. Her defence lawyer Derek Lovatt is expected to argue that Georgson — a childcare worker in Whistler — was in a psychotic state brought on by stress and sleep deprivation; she had not slept or eaten properly for several days before the crash, and should not be held criminally responsible. The Crown is expected to argue she was not suffering from a genuine mental disorder.
Police recovered two small ziplock bags of psilocybin mushrooms, a bottle of gin, a bag of cannabis, and a live marijuana plant from the camper. There was also a prescription bottle of anti-psychotic medication. Georgson's former boyfriend told police she had "lost it" and was "not in her right mind" after taking LSD at a party three days before the crash.
Georgson, who was also injured in the collision, spent two weeks being treated at the HOpe Centre after her hospital stay. Judge Ariana Ward is presiding over the trial in North Vancouver provincial court.
The facts
What happened on Highway 1 on September 21, 2022?
Alexandra Georgson drove her 1979 Chevrolet camper van 800 metres the wrong way on the Upper Levels Highway after entering via an exit ramp, colliding head-on with multiple vehicles and injuring five people.
How many charges does Alexandra Georgson face?
Georgson faces five charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
What substances were found in Georgson's camper van?
Police recovered two small ziplock bags of psilocybin mushrooms, a bottle of gin, a bag of cannabis, a live marijuana plant, and a prescription bottle of anti-psychotic medication.
What is the defence's argument in the trial?
Georgson's defence lawyer Derek Lovatt is expected to argue that Georgson was in a psychotic state brought on by stress and sleep deprivation and should not be held criminally responsible.
