When a grain auger touched an overhead power line at the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator yard at Carrot River on June 11, 1997, the life of 22-year-old Kevin Ralph came to a tragically early end.
Last week, a criminal trial arising from the events of that day also came to an early end, much to the dismay of Ralph’s loved ones.
“I’m totally disgusted,” Ralph’s father Robert said in an interview last week.
He said his family hoped a trial would provide a public airing of exactly what happened and who should be held responsible for Kevin’s death and the injuries suffered by former pool employee Terrence Bolland.
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In a deal worked out prior to the Dec. 14 appearance in provincial court in Carrot River, the pool pleaded guilty to one count of violating Canada Labor Code regulations and was fined $30,000. The crown stayed seven other counts against the pool and 10 against the pool’s former elevator manager at Carrot River.
“I’m so angry,” said Ralph, calling the deal a disgrace. “It’s ridiculous how they can plea bargain something like this. It shows how the law applies to big corporations.”
Crown prosecutor Horst Dahlem said while he sympathized with the Ralph family’s feelings, there was no evidence on which to proceed with a trial. Bolland has no memory of the day’s events and there were no eyewitnesses, so no one knows what happened.
Ralph had arrived at the pool elevator that morning to pick up a load of seed barley, after his order was unable to be completely filled the previous day. At some point, an auger being used to load the barley touched an overhead line.
Guilty plea
Both Dahlem and Sask Pool lawyer Brian Sherman said the agreement was the appropriate course of action to follow in the circumstances. The charge to which the pool pleaded guilty involved only the injuries to Bolland and had nothing to do with the fatality.
Ralph said he would have liked to see a trial go ahead even if there was no chance of a guilty verdict, in order to have a public examination of the pool’s safety procedures.
He said he and his wife Gladys have been devastated by the death of their only son.
“It ruined our lives,” he said, adding Kevin had only recently acquired land and was set to become the fourth generation to farm. “We’d worked side-by-side ever since he’s big enough to walk. We had a very, very close relationship.”
