LAVAL - A 22-year-old Laval man accused of dangerous driving causing the death of a teenage girl last September has asked for a judge-only trial, and may have his day in court on Jan. 27.
Robert Belanger was ordered to stand trial after a brief preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
A number of eyewitnesses took the stand during the preliminary hearing to describe what they saw the day Ronia was hit.
Many witnesses say the memory of the impact is particularly vivid.
A publication ban prevents those details from being reported until they are repeated in open court.
Members of Belanger's extended family also attended the hearing to show their support for the accused.
Belanger was arrested by Laval police after he allegedly fled the scene of an accident that killed teenage girl Ronia Mansourian.
Ronia died on Sep. 4, 2010, one day after being struck by a car while walking across the street in front of her Laval school at lunchtime.
Ronia's classmates continued what has now become a regular tradition: they marched from Saint Maxime High School, on Levesque Blvd. to the courthouse near Highway 15 and St. Martin.
The marches have become a show of solidarity for their friend, a demonstration of support for her family, and a reminder to drivers about the dangers of speeding near schools.
