CLARNEVILLE, NL—Travis Firmage expected to be in jail by days end.
Firmage was charged with impaired driving causing the death of Calvin Tobin following a two-vehicle crash just outside Clarenville on Aug. 1, 2017.
Tobin was the passenger in the vehicle that Firmage was driving.
This morning, Jan. 17, Firmage was scheduled for a speedy disposition at Clarenville provincial court.
Firmage did not attend court in the morning, but appeared before a judge at 3:30 pm.
Although a guilty plea has not been recorded by the court as of yet, Firmage indicated today that he had intended to plead guilty to the charges, and expected to be taken into custody.
But when Firmage found out that his speedy disposition had been postponed until Feb. 21, he found himself in a bind.
"I had to give notice to give up my place to live. My assistance has been cut — everything was cut. I'm supposed to go into custody, and now I got no place to live, no nothing," said Firmage before the judge.
"I was told that today would be the day I would be arrested. So I had everything set up for me being gone. My fiancée is moving to Ontario. We gave up our house. Everything," he said later.
"I have nowhere else to go."
There was only one thing left he could think to do.
Wallace Firmage is Travis' father— and the surety of his bail.
If Wallace made an application to withdraw his surety, his son would be taken into custody.
And that's what he did.
He appeared from Gander provincial court via a video conference.
"Mr. Wallace, you do understand that by making this application, your son is going to be taken into custody?" Judge Paul Noble asked Wallace.
"Yes," Wallace replied.
Firmage has the option to apply for another bail hearing, but indicated that he would not be doing. He was then taken into custody until his next court appearance.
Related Story: Clarenville RCMP investigating a fatal two-vehicle collision
Related Story: Man charged with Calvin Tobin's death appears in Clarenville provincial court
Related Story: Matter involving impaired driving death of Calving Tobin held over to Jan. 16
