Warning: This article contains images that may be disturbing to readers. An Orangeville woman charged with dangerous driving causing death has taken a plea deal ahead of trial. Alicia Beerdat, 40, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death for her role in what police described as a road rage incident that turned deadly two and a half years ago along Highway 400 through Innisfil. The court heard, as part of an Agreed Statement of Facts, that Beerdat, while driving her Tesla Model S, and a 21-year-old Mississauga man behind the wheel of a Chevy Equinox had been road raging down Highway 400 south of Barrie at about 5:30 p.m. on April 26, 2024. The vehicles were seen weaving through traffic between lanes, tailgating one another, and making sudden lane changes after Beerdat was abruptly cut off between Innisfil Beach Road and Highway 89. The crash turned deadly when Beerdat prevented the other driver from overtaking her in the fast lane. The Equinox and Tesla each reached top speeds of 140 kilometres an hour when the Equinox tried to pass the Tesla using the left shoulder. The Equinox struck the barrier and crossed into oncoming traffic in the northbound lanes, leading to a crash that involved a total of six vehicles, which shut down the highway for several hours while reconstruction officers pieced together what happened. The man died of his injuries on the scene. Five months later, Beerdat was charged with dangerous driving causing death. Beerdat, who is from Orangeville and is a long-time correctional officer, accepted responsibility for her actions ahead of what was supposed to be a five-day trial before a judge in Barrie. The Crown said it has been unsuccessful in receiving victim impact statements from the family of the man killed in the crash. The defence sought a pre-sentence report to help the court better understand Beerdat’s background. The report typically takes between six and eight weeks to complete and present to the court. Beerdat’s sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin in late November.
