Ivey prof sentenced

Following a fatal collision on Highway 3 last January, Murray Bryant, a professor of managerial accounting at the Richard Ivey School of Business, pled guilty earlier this week to the charge of careless driving.

Bryant, also the husband of Ward 13 councillor Judy Bryant, was dealt a fine of $1,000 and given a 30-day driving suspension. His charge carried a maximum penalty of a $2,000 fine and six months in jail.

“Careless driving is a severe charge,” Dennis Rivest, media relations officer for the London Police Service, said.

When determining a charge, Rivest explained the police “would look at the circumstances of the evidence that is presented to us and lay an appropriate charge” in accordance with the Criminal Code of Canada, or the Highway Traffic Act.

“If there were circumstances that would suggest the charge could be a number of different charges, then there would be consultation with the crown attorneys to determine what the appropriate charge would be,” Rivest said.

The collision in question involved Bryant hitting and killing a 49-year-old tow truck operator who was changing a tire on the side of the highway on January 17. The man later died in hospital.

Helen Gale, justice of the peace, said Bryant drove “without due care or attention” on the day of the collision, but displayed no recklessness. Since the accident, Bryant took full responsibility for the crash and hadn’t driven since.

According to Ivan Langrish, senior manager of media strategy for Ivey, Bryant was never on leave from teaching and will continue to teach in the school’s executive MBA program.