Driving conviction overturned

A judge in Burlington has overturned the careless driving conviction of a man whose coughing fit led to him hitting and killing a woman at the side of the road.

Ottavio Ariganello was initially convicted of careless driving after he testified a coughing fit caused him to close his eyes while driving on a rural road in Halton Hills in February of 2008.

His car then veered off the road and he struck and killed 50 year old Carolyn McTavish, who was getting her mail.

The judge ruled the original Justice of the Peace was mistaken in finding that Ariganello chose to close his eyes while driving.