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. Originally set to select a trial method at Fredericton provincial court on Tuesday, Ricketson was not present in court as her defense lawyer, Shane Hill, representing Emily Cochrane, requested an extension to allow for evidence disclosure. Judge Lyne Raymond rescheduled the hearing for September 1.

The incident involved the man being fatally struck while changing a tire on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway near Oromocto. Despite taking safety precautions such as pulling off the highway, wearing a reflective vest, and activating the vehicle’s hazard lights, the victim’s identity remains undisclosed by the police. It is unclear if Ricketson, who was charged nearly four months after the incident, was the individual of interest identified by the police shortly after the March 19 crash. Authorities confirmed that Ricketson is not currently in police custody.