A coroner’s inquest into the death of a 13-year-old girl following a school bus incident in Dorchester more than two years ago got underway at the Moncton courthouse Monday with jury selection.
The Department of Justice and Public Safety announced in September that it would hold an inquest into the death of Hailey PIerce, who died at the Moncton Hospital on April 12, 2022, as a result of injuries she suffered on her way home from Dorchester Consolidated School the previous day.
Deputy chief coroner Michael Johnston and a jury made up of three men and two women will publicly hear evidence from witnesses to determine the facts surrounding the teenager’s death.
The jurors, selected from 44 prospective jurors, will also have the opportunity to make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances.
At the time of Hailey’s death, community members said she fell from the back of the school bus while it was moving.
Contagious smile
Members of the Hailey’s family are present for the proceedings, including her mother.
According to her obituary, she was “an amazing girl, full of life and was vibrantly colourful in all aspects of it.”
“She enjoyed being physically active, being around horses and spending time with her grandparents and with her right-hand man and brother, Dexter.
“She had a smile that was contagious, a laugh that was intoxicating and she loved to make people laugh.”
The community held a walk to honour her.
Her family donated her organs.
The inquest is being held this week at the Moncton Law Courts. (Shane Magee/CBC)
The New Brunswick Coroner Service is an independent fact-finding agency that may not make any finding of legal responsibility.
The inquest is scheduled to continue at the Moncton courthouse until Nov. 8.
A total of 200 people were summonsed for potential jury duty, said Department of Justice and Public Safety spokesperson Allan Dearing. Of those, 84 were excused prior to Monday, he said.
Potential jurors may be excused for a variety of reasons, including if they’re 70 or older, if they suffer from “a physical, mental or other infirmity that is incompatible with the discharge of the duties of a juror,” or if they provide care for a child under 14, a person who is “infirm or aged” or a person who is mentally incompetent.