Lesser charge “appals” Garden River community

The Oct. 13 traffic death of Jessie Roach, 22, of Garden River First Nation, and the subsequent laying of a charge under the Highway Traffic Act, have left the community distraught. Terry Mosher, 73, of St. Joseph Island, has been charged with obstructing a peace officer and failing to report an accident. Roach was found dead on a straight stretch of Highway 17B about 500 metres west of Bell’s Point Road. Mosher claims he did not strike Roach but found him lying on the highway. “The decision to charge the person responsible in (Roach’s) death with a lesser offence is contrary to what our First Nation leaders have been working on with the Attorney General: fair and balanced justice for all,” said Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy, in a news release. Garden River’s Chief and council has issued a statement giving their full support to the Roach Family in their efforts to seek justice for Jessie.