Mark Duke acquitted of impaired operation causing death
A Fox Harbour man who was charged with impaired operation causing death and failure to stay at the scene of an accident which resulted in death was acquitted of those charges today at Provincial Court in St. John’s.
Duke was on trial over the last few months, after an investigation by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary led to his arrest in August of 2024. It was alleged that Duke struck and killed a pedestrian, 61-year-old Hubert Noftall, on Freshwater Road on Regatta Day of that year.
It was also alleged that Duke drove away from the scene of the crime. Police did not find Duke driving his pickup truck, which was determined to be involved in the collision, anywhere near the scene of the crime, but they did find Duke operating the pickup truck later that day in the George Street West area. That’s when he was placed under arrest.
During his arrest, Duke said to officers “all I did was write off my truck, I didn’t hurt anybody.”
Police also determined Duke was impaired by drugs. A urine sample later confirmed that.
While it was Duke’s pickup involved in the vehicle-pedestrian collision that claimed the life of Hubert Noftall, during her decision today, Honourable Lois Skanes said that the crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Duke was the driver at the time of the collision.
Mark Duke is still facing charges of impaired operation, it’s just the charges of impaired operation causing death and failure to stay at the scene of an accident resulting in death that he’s been acquitted for.
Duke will be sentenced for that charge next week at Provincial Court in St. John’s.
NTV’s Marykate O’Neill will have the full details coming up tonight on the NTV Evening Newshour.
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