Five years in prison for a fatal accident

Archive Photo, QMI Agency
The car driven by the victim Maxime Coupal after the accident of 19 June 2017 in Sainte-Julie, in Montérégie.

Carl Vaillancourt

Monday, February 19, 2018 21:38

UPDATE
Monday, February 19, 2018 21:38

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A multirécidiviste of drinking and driving, which did not have the right to lead alone will serve five years in prison for having caused an accident which claimed the life of a son model last June.

John Stevens went with his parents to Quebec on the 19th of June last. Towards 2 o’clock in the morning, he wanted to change lane on highway 20 at the height of Sainte-Julie, due to construction.

The 42-year-old, who had 236 mg/100 ml in blood, or three times the permissible limit, while it was zero tolerance for him, crashed into the rear of the car of Maxim Coupal, 32 years. The latter died on the spot when his car struck a truck to Transport Quebec.

According to the report of the coroner, the victim was also traces of alcohol and drugs in the blood, but the judge Magali Lepage has not taken account of this information in imposing his sentence.

John Stevens pleaded guilty Monday in Longueuil with impaired driving causing death.

“I take responsibility for my actions. I can promise you that it will never happen again “, he said.

Not new

John Stevens was not his first trouble with the law.

“Two times, Mr. Stevens has been convicted of driving while impaired in 1995 and 1999. Everything seems to indicate that the latter has not drawn any lesson from its mistakes of the past, ” explained the magistrate on Monday at the palais de justice de Longueuil.

“Maxime was a great place in my life. He was watching over me. I was forced to quit my job at the CLSC because of the arthritis. He helped me financially with the grocery store. Since he is deceased, it is very difficult for me. I feel distressed by the situation, and I’m alone to live all this, ” wrote the victim’s mother, Raquel Velasquez.

In detention since the month of June, Mr. Stevens will have to serve four years in custody as of Tuesday, he has already served eight months of detention, which are time and a half.