SUMMERSIDE – Roger Irwin Faithfull, pleaded guilty Thursday to impaired driving causing death.
Faithfull, 57, was behind the wheel on Oct. 15, 2012, when his car left a road in New Annan, flipped, and crashed into a ditch.
His passenger, Paul Gerard Cormier, 53, died at the scene.
Faithfull entered his plea in Summerside provincial court with members of his family and that of Cormier's present.
The Crown dropped three other related charges.
Following the plea, defence counsel Trish Cheverie requested an adjournment to allow time for a pre-sentence report to be compiled.
Cheverie also told the court that her client has been doing well in terms of finally dealing with his alcoholism.
She said that he has been an alcoholic all his life but has taken serious strides to resolve his addiction since the crash; including checking himself into the provincial detox program and attending daily counseling sessions.
Faithfull will be back in court on April 23 for his sentencing.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Faithfull and Cormier were driving along Route 2 in New Annan when the car crossed the centre line. Faithfull over corrected, causing the vehicle to roll over into the ditch on the opposite side of the road.
Witnesses told police that the car had been traveling normally before it suddenly veered off the road.
Several drivers who witnessed the crash got out of their cars and called 911, while a nurse who happened on the scene went to check on Faithful, who had gotten out of the vehicle.
She told police that he was so drunk she couldn't understand when he told her his last name.
"She said Roger had slurred speech, a sore shoulder and a laceration to his left wrist. She observed a beer bottle between the front seats. She asked him if he'd had anything to drink and he told her he had a few beers."
Faithfull, who weighs 118 pounds had five drinks, of either rum or beer, between 11 a.m. that morning and the time of the crash at 2:30 p.m.
When RCMP officers arrived on the scene they arrested Faithfull, advised him of his rights and charged him.
He was released 22 hours later after speaking with a lawyer, being taken to the hospital to be examined and providing samples of his breath.
