“Fatal Hit-and-Run Court Appearance Delayed”

A woman facing charges for leaving the scene of a deadly accident near Fredericton had her court appearance delayed by three weeks. Vanessa Ricketson, 27, is accused in connection with the death of a 19-year-old man from Norton. She was supposed to choose a trial method in Fredericton provincial court but was not present on Tuesday. It is alleged that 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 an adjournment for evidence disclosure, and the new court date was set for Sept. 1 by Judge Lyne Raymond. The victim, who remains unidentified by the police, took safety measures such as pulling off the highway, wearing a reflective vest, and activating the vehicle’s four-way flashers. The RCMP did not confirm if Ricketson was the person of interest named two days after the March 19 incident. Ricketson was charged almost four months later, and as of Tuesday, she is not in police custody.