Man charged in hit-and-run that killed Boris Brott drove a van into a crowded Grimsby park in 2019
A 33-year-old man charged in the hit-and-run crash that killed renowned conductor Boris Brott previously pleaded guilty to driving a rental van into a crowded, beachfront park in Grimsby.
Arsenije Lojovic was still on probation for that dangerous driving incident when he allegedly struck and killed Brott on Park Street South on April 5. However, his driver's licence had been reinstated.
According to an official recording of the Oct. 26, 2020 case in St. Catharines court, the prosecution had sought an 18-month driving prohibition, but the judge agreed with the defence and imposed one of 12 months. Had the longer ban been in place, Lojovic would have still been prohibited from driving on the day Brott was killed.
Lojovic pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in relation to the August 2019 incident where he drove a van through Nelles Beach Park at 91 Lake St. in Grimsby. He was handed a conditional discharge.
Reading from an agreed statement of facts, assistant Crown attorney Richard Monette said Lojovic had been apprehended under the Mental Health Act on Aug. 2, 2019 and was taken to a St. Catharines hospital. However, he was released the next day and immediately walked to an Enterprise car rental and rented a cargo van.
He drove it to the town of Grimsby into Nelles Beach Park," Monette said.
There were more than 30 people in the park at the time, including children, Monette said, adding that Lojovic drove through a closed gate and into a green space. He was travelling between 20 and 30 kilometres an hour and made no apparent attempts to stop until he hit a tree and a volleyball net.
Parents had to grab their children and duck out of the way to avoid getting run over by the van," Monette said.
He left the park in the van around 3:55 p.m. and was found by police on South Service Road a little over half an hour later.
Your honour, I feel horrible about this whole situation and I was really in a temporary psychosis and I had no intention of hurting anyone," Lojovic said to Ontario Court Justice Fergus O'Donnell during the 2020 court hearing.
I know it looks bad, it was a van, but it was literally the only car available at the Enterprise. It was a sporadic, impulsive move on my part and I do accept responsibility."
His lawyer, Mary Murphy, told the court that Lojovic was diagnosed with bipolar disorder over a decade ago and has generally been stable with medication. However, during the summer of 2019 he had a period of mania that led to his mother calling 911.
She anticipated her son would be apprehended, but he was released from hospital hours later and immediately rented the van.
He sees his actions as a cry for help," she told the court.
Murphy acknowledged the great alarm" the incident would have caused people in the park, but noted that he never drove toward anyone.
After the August 2019 incident, Lojovic was hospitalized again at Lincoln Memorial Hospital and had been stable for the intervening months.
He was prohibited from driving while out on bail. Murphy asked for another 12 month prohibition, while the Crown sought an 18 month ban.
Lojovic's family is originally from Serbia, but they are Canadian citizens. He grew up in Etobicoke, before the family moved to Grimsby several years ago. Murphy noted that going to the gym and taking part in recreation helped with his mental health. The lack of public transportation in Grimsby was cited as part of the reason Murphy asked for the lesser driving ban.
She also noted that at times when he was unstable previously, his doctor had suspended his licence.
Court heard Lojovic also had a 2019 conviction on his record for impaired driving.
It's unclear what role, if any, Lojovic's mental health played in the events of April 5.
Murphy, who remains his lawyer, said she couldn't comment further.
Hamilton police also declined to comment, but did clarify that the vehicle involved in the collision that killed Brott was not a rental. It's not clear what Lojovic was allegedly doing in Hamilton that day.
What is known is that police received a 911 call around 10 a.m. April 5 about a vehicle driving the wrong way on the Mountain. Dispatchers issued an all-car broadcast" alerting officers to look out for the vehicle.
Just 20 minutes later, 78-year-old Brott was fatally struck on Park Street South at Markland Street.
Lojovic allegedly fled the scene and was arrested on Elmwood Avenue near Garth Street.
He remains in custody and the case is before the courts.
Brott's death comes amid a spike in pedestrian deaths in Hamilton and has spurred calls to make Hamilton streets safer.
Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com