Drinking and driving: 45 weekends behind bars for the mother of a family that injured two women

Photo Fotolia

Jean-François Desbiens

Wednesday, 13 December 2017 14:15

UPDATE
Wednesday, 13 December 2017 14:15

Look at this article

SHERBROOKE – Sherbrooke is a driver of 34 years was sentenced Wednesday to serve 45 weekends in jail and a prohibition from driving for two years.

Melissa Villeneuve has caused injury to Chantal Gagnon and his mother on the night of December 9, 2016 during an accident that occurred on the street of Providence, in the east of Sherbrooke.

Guilty of two counts of driving under the influence causing injury, the accused had, at the time of the events, a bac of .184, which is a little more than double the allowable limit.

Ms. Gagnon, his mother and other relatives were returning from a trip that night. The family had required the services of a aéronavette for transport. The van just happened to stop in the driveway and Chantal Gagnon had the time to go down when the accident occurred.

With his car completely covered in snow, at the exit of a curve, Melissa Villeneuve has encroached on the ground of the residence to touch the leg of Ms. Gagnon then hit the side of the van.

Following the impact, the mother of Mrs. Gagnon, Jocelyne Turcotte, who was standing, was hit by the door of the van, and dropped to the ground a few feet away. The victims were lucky in spite of everything, suffering contusions and bruises, but no fracture.

Wounded in one leg, Chantal Gagnon had to move around using a cane for six months. But beyond the physical pain, she and her mother say they are living with the effects of post-traumatic shock and the feeling of insecurity arising from it.

Melissa Villeneuve is a mother of two children, one of whom at a young age. In instance of separation, she has no one to care for her young, or she would have been punished with a prison sentence.

The judge has therefore decided to sentence her to 90 days in jail, a sentence that the woman will purge the weekends. It will also have to perform 240 hours of community work. A driving prohibition has been imposed for a period of two years.

Raise the awareness of drivers

Chantal Gagnon was keen to share what she has lived to raise the awareness of drivers in this period of the year in respect to the dangers of getting behind the wheel after having consumed alcohol. She considers that her mother and she could very well have found his death a year ago, because of the lack of judgment of which the accused has shown.