Saint John woman sentenced to house arrest for fleeing fatal cyclist collision

Shantel Raeburn, 25, received a conditional sentence, the longest possible within the sentencing guidelines, after pleading guilty to failing to remain at the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of a 62-year-old cyclist, as reported by Yahoo.com. Philip MacMillan lost his life in being hit by the motorist  on May 28, 2021. During the first 12 months of her sentence, Raeburn will serve house arrest, with exceptions for work or education. She will also have the freedom to run personal errands on Saturdays between noon and 4 p.m.

Confessed to fleeing scene of crime

Raeburn confessed to promptly leaving the scene of an accident that occurred around 7:45 a.m.
Her statement of facts does not provide any information about how MacMillan was struck that morning, and the specifics of the collision were also not discussed during the court proceedings on Monday.

According to court testimony, Raeburn parked the car, registered to her partner, following the accident. She then sought assistance from her partner’s uncle, who works at a recycling plant, to dispose of the vehicle.

Around 2 a.m., approximately 18 hours after the collision, a police officer discovered the vehicle parked behind a residence with the license plate having been taken off.

On May 29, 2021, Raeburn voluntarily surrendered to the police and made a complete confession.

Judge believes her to be remorseful

Taking into account Raeburn’s confession and her subsequent guilty plea, Justice Darrell Stephenson of the Court of King’s Bench expressed his belief that she genuinely feels remorseful.

In addition to her guilty plea, Stephenson imposed a $1,000 fine on Raeburn and imposed a three-year driving ban. She also had to give a DNA sample for inclusion in a national databank.

While MacMillan’s family members chose not to address the media, his wife and mother did present victim impact statements during the court proceedings.

“My heart was broken. My soul was crushed. I lost interest in everything that used to bring me overwhelming joy and happiness — my home, my garden, my family and my friends,” his mother, Jeanne MacMillan said. “Their support was overwhelming, yet I did not want to see them.”