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Cochrane man reserves plea on 14 charges

A Cochrane man accused of causing a collision that killed four people and seriously injured a fifth person on Hwy 2 near Innisfail made a brief court appearance on Friday.

A Cochrane man accused of causing a collision that killed four people and seriously injured a fifth person on Hwy 2 near Innisfail made a brief court appearance on Friday.

Tyler James Stevens, 29, limped into the prisoner’s dock at Red Deer provincial court with a pained expression on his face.

He faces 14 criminal charges in relation to the March 4 collision in the southbound lanes of Hwy 2, near Cottonwood Road.

Police allege Stevens was the sole occupant of an SUV that was heading north in the southbound lanes at about 11:15 p.m. when it collided with a southbound SUV carrying five temporary foreign workers employed by an Edmonton hotel.

The four dead are two men, Anthony Subong Castillon and Joey Flores Mangonon, both 35, and two women, Eden Dalu Biazon, 39 and Josefina Flores Velarde, 52.

A fifth passenger, Josephine Gaila Tamondong, 28, was transported to Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital and is still being treated.

Stevens was also treated for injuries at Red Deer Regional Hospital before being taken into custody.

He faces charges of impaired driving causing death and bodily harm, failing to provide a breath sample, and criminal negligence causing death and injury.

His lawyer, Will Willms, asked Judge John Holmes to reserve his client’s election and plea until next week. Stevens was ordered to appear in court on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.