Impaired driver sentenced to 7 years after double-fatal Cambridge crash
A man who killed two people in a drunk driving crash was sentenced Friday to seven years behind bars.
The collision happened in Cambridge on May 12, 2022
Justin Maurice, who was then 21-years-old, was driving north on Hespeler Road when his Hyundai collided with the side of a Toyota going southbound.
The Toyota rolled over, killing 51-year-old Randy Turenne of Cambridge.
Maurice’s co-worker, 30-year-old Alexander Brown of Pickering, was also killed. He had been sitting beside Maurice in the Hyundai’s passenger seat.
Maurice was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Months later, he was charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of impaired operation causing death.
He pleaded guilty to those charges.
Victim impact statements read after deadly crash
Maurice’s sentencing
Court heard that Maurice had been driving more than double the speed limit and going 164 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. At the moment of impact with Turenne’s vehicle, Maurice was going 148 km/h.
“Mr. Maurice was driving at an exceptionally excessive speed, with a blood alcohol concentration at least double the legal limit, with a driving record for prior speeding offenses,” Justice Melanie Sopinka said.
On Friday morning, Maurice was sentenced to seven years in jail and is prohibited from driving for 10 years, minus the two years he’s already been off the roads. He’s also not allowed to own a weapon or ammunition.
“The task of arriving at an appropriate sentence in this matter is extremely difficult. On the one hand, Mr. Maurice is extremely youthful, entered a guilty plea and has tremendous support in the community and a bright future ahead of him,” Justice Melanie Sopinka explained.
Missing Randy
Kim Turenne, Randy’s widow, admits the sentence doesn’t take away her pain.
“There are no winners today. There are three families that are devastated and it shouldn't have happened,” Turenne told CTV News.
Despite her grief, she also has sympathy for Maurice’s family who were emotional during sentencing. Maurice, she added, is the same age as one of her kids.
“My heart goes out to her as a mother. I hope that he comes out and learns, and even more than that, that the public learns that drinking and driving is not okay,” she said.
Turenne hopes all three families can move on and start to heal.
She’s also determined to never forget her husband’s loving spirit.
“The bear hugs, the smiles, the way his personality filled a room,” Turenne recalled.
Kim and Randy Turenne share a glass of wine at a winery. (Courtesy: Kim Turenne)
A new mother grieves
Last month, there were tears as more than 20 victim impact statements were read in court.
Sabika Kashani was three months pregnant when her husband Alexander Brown was killed in the crash.
“Our daughter has been robbed of a father. We were stripped of a chance to be a family,” she told the court.
Brown asked the judge for justice, calling the "devastating consequences" too painful to bear.
Sabika Kashani and Alexander Brown on their wedding day. (Submitted: Sabika Kashani's family)
Maurice speaks in court
After the victim impacts statements were read, Maurice spoke of remorse and called his actions “careless.”
“If I could trade my life for theirs, I would … I’m deeply sorry for everything that has happened. There’s no excuse for my actions,” he said, in part.
Turenne believes him and doesn’t want Maurice or his family to experience any more pain.
“I think he honestly felt awful for the decision he made that night,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former astronaut William Anders, who took iconic Earthrise photo, dies in plane crash off Vancouver Island
Retired Maj. Gen. William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic 'Earthrise' photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state.
Canadian businessman Frank Stronach charged in sexual assault investigation
Canadian businessman Frank Stronach has been charged in connection with alleged sexual assaults that spanned over four decades, police west of Toronto announced on Friday.
Tessa Virtue and Morgan Rielly were ordered to stop painting their Toronto home. Here is why.
Decorated figure skater Tessa Virtue and Toronto Maple Leaf Morgan Rielly have hired a lobbyist as they seek permission to paint the exterior of their Rosedale heritage home, despite objections from city staff.
Spelling the end of an era: How Pat Sajak made an imprint in Canada
Ontario entrepreneur, rapper and self-described religious viewer, Bishop Brigante, will tune in and try to solve the Hangman-style puzzles as game show host Pat Sajak takes his last spin on the Wheel of Fortune.
Common low-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds
A low-calorie sweetener called xylitol used in many reduced-sugar foods and consumer products such as gum and toothpaste may be linked to nearly twice the risk of heart attacks, stroke and death in people who consume the highest levels of the sweetener, a new study found.
BREAKING No parole for 25 years for B.C. teen's killer, who covered ears as victim's dad spoke at sentencing
Ibrahim Ali has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years in the 2017 murder of a B.C. teenager.
Viral video sparks debate about shopping cart etiquette
Returning a shopping cart to the corral when you’re done with it may seem like common courtesy to some – but for others, it’s a chore. One TikTok post has reignited the debate.
McMaster pediatric surgery chief says deaths after tonsil surgery 'very rare'
The chief of pediatric surgery at McMaster Children's Hospital says the deaths following tonsil and adenoid surgeries at his hospital are 'tragic' and 'very rare.'
4 hospitalized after small plane crashes in suburban Denver yard after trying to land on street
Four people were hospitalized in serious to critical condition after a small plane crashed into the front yard of a suburban Denver home after trying to land in the street, authorities said.