Sentencing delayed for semi-driver who killed 2 charity ride motorcyclists in northern Alberta

The sentencing hearing for Michael Maurice Koochin, the semi-driver responsible for the deaths of two Alberta motorcyclists, has been unexpectedly delayed. Koochin, 40, was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday but the hearing was postponed due to a sudden medical issue affecting the Crown prosecutor.

Koochin had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving causing death and six counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. His 1995 GMC tractor-trailer was found to be unroadworthy at the time of the crash in August 2024, and he faced 26 charges laid in January 2025. His insurance had expired due to non-payment when he was hauling rig waste to a landfill on the day of the fatal collision.

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My boy was taken from me in such a horrific way. They let him lay on the highway until I got up there, it took us four hours.

More than 30 family and friends of the victims, Laurent Isador and Tyler Duboski, had prepared victim impact statements. These statements were read into the court record on Thursday, despite the sentencing delay. Leah Dubowski, grandmother of Tyler Duboski, brought attendees to tears with her testimony.

"My boy was taken from me in such a horrific way," she stated. "They let him lay on the highway until I got up there, it took us four hours." The crash occurred on August 31, 2024, near High Prairie, Alberta, when Koochin's semi-trailer crossed the center line and collided with the group of motorcyclists. Isador, 38, and Duboski, 33, were participating in a charity ride organized by the Red Rum Motorcycle Club to raise awareness and funds for people experiencing homelessness.

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That terrible day will haunt us forever.