“Trial Delayed for Woman in Deadly Hit-and-Run”

A woman accused of leaving the scene of a deadly accident near Fredericton will have her court appearance delayed by three weeks. Vanessa Ricketson, 27, faces charges related to the death of a 19-year-old man from Norton. She was supposed to choose a trial method in Fredericton provincial court on Tuesday. Allegations suggest she drove away after hitting the man, who had stopped on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway near Oromocto to change a tire. Defense attorney Shane Hill, representing Emily Cochrane, requested a postponement for evidence disclosure, and Judge Lyne Raymond rescheduled the hearing for September 1. The victim remains unidentified, but authorities confirmed he had taken safety measures by pulling far off the highway, wearing a reflective vest, and activating the vehicle’s hazard lights. Police declined to confirm if Ricketson was the individual of interest named two days post-accident on March 19. Ricketson was formally charged nearly four months later and is currently not in police custody.