Guilty in fatal bridge crash

A B.C. Supreme Court judge says he’s not convinced low blood sugar was to blame for a head-on crash that killed a Kamloops man three years ago on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Gordon Kent Rumbles, 55, was found guilty Thursday on charges of dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing death and driving with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08.

Shaun Stacey Michael, a 48-year-old father of two, was killed on Nov. 6, 2021, when his work truck was struck head-on by a pickup being driven by Rumbles. The collision took place on the R.W. Bruhn Bridge in Sicamous.

Rumbles’ blood-alcohol level was 0.186, more than twice the legal limit to drive when his blood was drawn at Royal Inland Hospital two hours after the crash. Inside his vehicle, police found two empty White Claw cans and an open bottle of vodka, as well as other booze that was unopened.

Rumbles did not deny driving or drinking but put forth a defence of automatism. He claimed his hypoglycemia — dangerously low blood sugar related to diabetes — caused him to consume alcohol involuntarily.

Court heard Rumbles’ journey the day of the crash started at his home in the Edmonton area. He headed west through Jasper, Clearwater and Kamloops, then carried on to Salmon Arm and headed toward Mabel Lake before doubling back on Highway 1 and colliding with Michael’s truck in Sicamous.

Rumbles was spotted driving dangerously in the minutes before the crash, and an eyewitness described seeing his truck cross the centre line on the bridge and collide with Michael’s vehicle.

An endocrinologist testified as a defence expert at trial, suggesting Rumbles' case “contains all the prerequisites for an insulin-induced hypoglycemic event.”

In handing down his decision on Thursday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brad Smith said he was not convinced by the endocrinologist's testimony.

“I have carefully scrutinized the evidence in this case and I do not believe the exculpatory evidence of Mr. Rumbles,” he said.

“I give very little weight to the exculpatory and hypothesis evidence of [the endocrinologist]. I find that Mr. Rumbles committed the offences with which he is charged.”

Prosecutors sought to have Rumbles' passport taken away pending sentencing, but Smith allowed him to keep it so he can continue to work overseas.

Lawyers will return to court on Dec. 9 to set a date for sentencing.