$5M lawsuit filed against trucker who struck animal rights activist
Every Monday, Mark Powell drives to the Burlington, Ont., pork plant where his wife died to give water to pigs on their way to slaughter.
It’s what Regan Russell did every week, until one day in June 2020 when a transport truck driver drove over her and killed her.
Police charged the driver with careless driving causing death – a non-criminal provincial offence – because investigators said he did not have criminal intent.
Two years later, with the case languishing in court and no trial date yet set, Powell says he has lost faith in the probe and is turning to civil court to try to get answers about his wife’s death.
“I want to know what happened to my person,” Powell said.
Last week, he filed a $5-million lawsuit over her death. The truck driver, Andrew Blake, the trucking company, Brussels Transport, and Sofina Foods, the company that owns Fearmans Pork processing plant, are among those named in the suit.
The unproven claim alleges negligence on their parts led to the death of Russell.
The claim alleges the driver failed to keep a proper lookout and made an unsafe and improper turn. It also alleges Brussels Transport failed to take steps to ensure the driver was competent and that Sofina failed to provide safety for pedestrians around Fearmans.
“Given that this matter is currently before the courts, we are not able to make a comment at this time other than to say that the allegations contained in the statement of claim against Sofina are unproven and Sofina will vigorously defend this matter,” Sofina said in an email.
Neither the truck driver’s lawyer, nor Brussels Transport, responded to requests for comment.
Russell, a 65-year-old activist, was demonstrating outside the slaughterhouse westof Toronto, on June 19, 2020, as she had done every week for years. She and some friends, as part of the activist groupToronto Pig Save, protested controversial provincial legislation that had just passed that hiked fines for trespassing on farms and food-processing facilities.
The bill also made it illegal to obstruct trucks carrying farm animals. The bill appeared, in part, to target Toronto Pig Save, whose advocates for years had filmed and given water to pigs inside transport trucks as they neared slaughter. They call it “bearing witness.”
Since his wife’s death, Powell has lived with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
He wasn’t there at the time, but Russell’s friends have described how she died under a wheel of the truck. He’s seen video of the aftermath.
“I see it every night when my head hits the pillow,” he said.
His friends wonder how he copes.
“I’ve had some practice,” he said, his voice trailing off.
In 2014, Powell lost his 29-year-old son, Zachary. He can still see the paramedics pounding on his boy’s chest as he was wheeled on a gurney into an ambulance. Zachary’s heart had given out.
Powell is using the strength of his family to move forward after the losses.
He credits his other son, Joshua, for holding him up when he was down, and helping him pick up the decades-long animal rights fight his wife undertook.
Last week on Father’s Day, he and Joshua donated a bench at an animal sanctuary north of Toronto to honour Russell. It reminds Powell of a bench in Zachary’s name in a Hamilton park.
He and Joshua have also launched the Regan Russell Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to keeping her voice alive by funding and supporting the battle against the bill she had been fighting.
The foundation is trying to intervene in a constitutional challenge to the laws by Animal Justice.
“It gives us a vehicle to fight bad legislation,” he said.
“I have hope and strength, hope that something like that foundation puts a voice for animals on the floor of government and strength knowing that Regan’s voice is being heard.”
Every week, activists gather to protest outside Fearmans Pork. But now they stand on the median where the trucks stop at the lights – away from the spot where Russell died – to give water to the pigs.
“I will always honour her and I will stand for what she stood for until I die,” Powell said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2022.
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Lorna, Regan was in the sidewalk when she was run over by that truck. Please, see the documentary “There was a Killing” on youtube to know the facts and take then your conclusions after.
I hope it gets thrown right out of court These activists have no business being on private properties interfering and getting in the way of doing business.
If so you assume liability for yourself and you get what you deserve.
How come all these activist protesters don’t get their bank accounts seized and be put bankrupt like those truckers that sat parked in Ottawa doing no harm to anyone?
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Exactly!
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Shawn, if the business means killing inocent, sencient beings, then yes, activists have the right to be there. They only want to show the world that this reality exists, that those animals exist, and that they aren’t just pieces of meat. They suffer just like me and you and deserve to live just like me and you. Please, open your heart for compassion and empathy.
I was a witness to this incident, the driver intentionally ran Regan over that day, he was the only aggressive driver of our day, at the very end. He sped up up to 30km an hour to zip around the corner from being stopped and he dragged her the entire length of the drive way after while the security guard was screaming at him to stop and he didn’t. Regan was 6 ft tall and was standing in front of him for 5 minutes and when he tried to hit her, she couldn’t get out of the way in time. He should be charged with second degree murder and because the police and justice system has failed us we are suing him for 5 million $.
I’m sorry she died, But why was she Anywhere never that truck!!!!????? We were in a pandemic and she giving, What to the animals??? She could of been giving them something that made people sick when we ate them or touched them. The trucker might not of realized she was there or so close. You can’t see well in a big truck. Where were the police. They are the ones who screwed up. They should of kept the protesters away from the trucks. Now they want millions of dollars. Ya let me guess, their going to give it all away to help animals right??? Lol Not
My heart goes out to everyone involved! The woman that lost her life doing something that she believes in and her family who are left with picking up the pieces of their lives! My heart goes to the driver as he was doing his job and did not see her in his blind spot! The transportation of animals to slaughter has become a dangerous job as protesters slow down the trucks and don’t seem to realize that these trucks do not stop on a dime! These are transport trucks with 50 ft trailers on behind which are large vehicles and as such people/ protesters should give them room! Perhaps senseless fatalities wouldn’t happen!