Former N.S. fire chief who hit snowmobiler with fire truck charged with drunk driving in N.B.

Former Collingwood Corner Fire Chief Faces Impaired Driving Charges in New Brunswick

The former chief of the Collingwood Corner, N.S., fire department, Jerrold Cotton, has found himself in legal trouble once again. After being removed from his post following the tragic death of a snowmobiler in February, Cotton is now facing charges for impaired driving and obstructing a peace officer in New Brunswick.

According to RCMP, Cotton, 51, crashed his vehicle on May 4 on Highway 2 near Sackville, N.B. Officers at the scene reported observing open liquor in the vehicle and signs of intoxication from Cotton, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

Cotton appeared in Moncton provincial court on Aug. 29 on charges of impaired driving, driving with a blood alcohol concentration over 80, and obstructing a peace officer. The RCMP declined to provide further details on the incident.

This incident comes on the heels of a tragic event in February when Cotton struck a snowmobiler, Blake Nicholson, on Wyvern Road in Collingwood Corner while driving a municipal fire truck. Nicholson, 28, had hit a snowbank and crashed while snowmobiling. Witnesses were providing CPR to Nicholson when he was struck by the fire truck that had been called to help him. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

In his obituary, Nicholson was described as an avid outdoorsman with a huge heart. He left behind his fiancée and two-year-old son. The investigation into Nicholson’s death is still ongoing, and no charges have been laid. The RCMP seized both the fire truck and the snowmobile involved in the incident.

Cotton previously admitted to drunk driving in 2020, resulting in a fine, license suspension, and a prohibition order on motor vehicles. The Municipality of Cumberland banned Cotton from driving municipal vehicles for about a year following this incident, but they did not have the authority to remove him from his position at the time.

In February, the municipality enacted a bylaw with a code of conduct for chiefs and deputy chiefs, finding Cotton and his wife, then deputy fire chief Andrea Bishop, in violation of the code. This led to their discharge and a lifetime ban from the fire hall.

Cotton is scheduled to appear in Moncton provincial court on Oct. 17 to enter a plea on the latest impaired driving charges. The legal proceedings continue as the community grapples with the aftermath of these tragic events.