On Friday, (October 4th) Frederick Earhart, a 54-year-old man from Alvinston, pleaded guilty to a hit-and-run accident that killed cyclist Johannes Smolders, on October 11th, 2021, while Smolders was riding his bike near Strathroy.
Before the judge accepted Earhart’s guilty plea, he had to admit that he knew he hit a cyclist and did not stop. Earhart had told a former girlfriend that he thought he hit a deer, hid his damaged truck in a woodshed and did not take responsibility for what happened.
The court learned that after the crash, Earhart got a new vehicle and never reported the incident.
The Crown and defense agreed on a sentence of two years, which includes one year of house arrest with a GPS monitor, one year under curfew, and two years of probation. He may also face a one-year driving ban.
Earhart was arrested in January 2022 after police found his truck and matched parts to the accident scene. The court will announce his final sentence on November 14th.
Written by: K. Milhomens