No charges in cycling death of Ellen Watters, say RCMP

No criminal charges will be laid in the death of Canadian competitive cyclist Ellen Watters, who was struck by a car in Sussex, N.B.,last December,say RCMP.

"Itwas determined that there's not sufficient evidence tosupport any charges," Sgt. Jim MacPhersontold CBC News on Monday.

"This decision was made in consultation with the Crown prosecutors, who concurred charges were not warranted in this case," he said.

Watters, 28, was critically injured in a collision with a car during a training ride in the town on Dec. 23 while home for the holidays. She died four days later.

Her mother could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

• Cyclists mark passage of Ellen's Law as legislature session ends

The news comes just days after the New Brunswick Legislature passed Ellen's Law, which will require drivers of cars and trucks to give cyclists a metre of clearance.

Cyclists lobbied for the legislation, aimed at protecting the safety ofcyclists,following Watters's death.

MacPhersondeclined to discuss what charges were being contemplated.

The file was in the hands of prosecutors for "at least two months," he said.

"The investigation took some time because there was a technical aspect to it," said MacPherson.

"We had an accident reconstructionist look at all the information and he has to prepare a report and when we get that report back, we include that in our investigation," he said.

Watters, who was originally from Apohaqui, N.B., and lived in Ottawa, was an advocate of better laws to protect cyclists on the roads.

In a July 2016 interview with CBC Radio'sShift, Watters acknowledged the dangers associated with the sport.

"There are crashes," she said."Sometimes, there are major crashes. Ihave definitely hit the deck a few times, but I have been lucky enough to get back up."

According toWatters'smother,the cyclistonce said that if she "had to die for the roads to be safer for other cyclists, then [she] would be OK with that."

Watters was widely hailed as a risingstar in Canadian cycling.

In the spring of 2016, she won first place in theKugler-Anderson Tour of Somerville, an80.5-km race held in New Jersey on Memorial Day. In October, she signed acontractwith the Union Cycliste Internationalewomen's team Colavita/Bianchi for the 2017 season.