Maverick Millen was found guilty by a jury for driving the wrong-way on Hwy. 19 in Nanoose Bay in January 2019 while under the influence of alcohol. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

guilty

Jury convicts wrong-way driver of Nanoose Bay crash

Dec 10, 2025 | 10:32 AM

NANAIMO — Jurors found a man guilty of both counts related to an overnight head-on crash on Hwy. 19 several years ago.

Maverick John Millen was on trial at BC Supreme Court in Nanaimo in relation to the Jan 11. 2019 wreck just after midnight when the offender drove north in the southbound lanes when he collided with an oncoming vehicle just north of the Petro Canada service station.

Millen, 32, was charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

The crash left Millen with a severe knee injury and head wound, while the opposing driver and lone occupant of his car sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

An 11-member jury unanimously found Millen guilty on both counts on the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec 9 after jurors deliberated for four-and-a-half hours following last week’s three-day trial.

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Millen was the lone proven occupant of a Toyota RAV4, which was registered to another owner.

At trial, Millen was positively identified by on-scene police and paramedics who reported Millen admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the crash.

The offender revealed to a paramedic while en-route to hospital in an ambulance that he had consumed four tequila’s and four rum and cokes.

A receipt and video surveillance from a Nanaimo pub were relied on by Crown counsel to corroborate Millen’s identity as well as his movements during the evening in question.

A motorist testified that a vehicle approaching from behind was going north in the southbound lanes of the divided four-lane highway when sparks and shrapnel began flying.

The vehicle Millen was driving ended up in the ditch after smashing into the other car as victim Ted Schofield was headed from Courtenay to Ladysmith.

A vehicle technician and inspector told the trial that no pre-existing damage would have caused the crash, and that all damages were collision related.

No witnesses were called by Millen’s legal team, who opted not to have the offender testify to explain his version of events.

Defence attorney Jerry Steele floated the possibility of Millen being a passenger and that perhaps another driver abruptly left the accident scene.

Millen, who’s not in custody, is several months away from being sentenced.

A pre sentence report was ordered for Millen, who slumped back in the prisoner’s box when both guilty verdicts were read out by one of jurors.

One juror was excused from the trial, leaving six men and five women on the panel to rule Millen’s fate.

With the offence date nearing its six-year anniversary, Millen’s case has been bogged down by numerous delays, including defence applications challenging the Crown’s evidence.

Charges against Millen were sworn in early November 2021.

The case is being overseen by BC Supreme Court Justice Brenda Brown.

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