Families slam fine, 1-year suspension for driver in Trans-Canada crash that killed young couple

The families of two young people killed in a 2017 Manitoba highway crashsay they don't feel any sense of closure after a guilty pleain a Portage la Prairie courtroom Wednesday morning.

Gurjant Singh, 24, was initially charged withcriminal negligence and dangerous driving causing death after the truck he was driving ran a red on the Trans-Canada at Highway 16, just west of Portage la Prairie,in August 2017.

CarleyHunking, 19,andDorian Roulette, 17, were killed instantly.

Singh pleaded guilty Wednesday to a lesser chargethe Highway Traffic Act offenceofcareless driving causing death and was given a $3,000 fine and a one-year driving suspension.

Hunking's and Roulette's families were in court and read out victim impact statements detailing the grief and agony of knowing the victims would never raise a family of their own.

"We lost amazing people, young people that were just starting their lives," said Gypsy Hunking, Carley's mother.

Through tears, both Hunking and Wendy Orr, Dorian's stepmother, talked about the toll thedeaths have taken on their families.

"We think about [Dorian] all the time. We're the ones that are living with the heartbreak," Orrsaid outside the courtroom.

"We'll never get to see him be a father, be a husband. We'll never get to see what would've been."

Singh also addressed the court, butwhen he was overcome with emotion,his lawyer read out an apology on his behalf. Singh's statement said not a day has gone by that he does not relive the crash.

"I really hope he is sorry, but that's not going to change our daughter being gone. It's not going to change anything,"Hunkingsaid after the sentencing.

"He is going to move on with his life and maybe having his nightmares he'll be more self-conscious if he's driving again."

"I don't take sorries, I don't take apologies," said Orr.

"Your actions speak louder than any words spoken. There's nothing he can say or do to make up for what he's done."

The court was told Singh came to Canada from Indiain 2013 as a student. Now on awork visa, he has been out on bail since 2017. Hehasn't been able to work since the accident, because the conditions of his bail prevented him from driving.

"Death, grief, sorrowand nightmares," were not on his mind when he came to Canada for a better life, Singh's statement said.

His lawyer said he'd only been truck driving for about a year when the crash occurred, on Aug. 27, 2017.

The court heard Singh had received a speeding ticket a month before the crash for going 110 km/h in a 90 zone.

At the time of the fatal crash, hewas going 83 kilometres per hour in an 80 km/hzone, but failed to noticethe flashing warning lights near the intersection indicating the traffic light was about to turnred.

Judge DonaldSlough attempted to address what he called "the elephant in the room," referring to the 2018 Humboldt Broncos crash.

The driver of the semi involved in thecollision with the hockey team's bus which left 16 dead was given an eight-year sentence last month.

Slough said Singh's case is different in that he did not miss several warning signs, asthe semi driver in the Humboldt crash did.

He saidSingh's failure to notice the flashing lights was a "moment of inadvertence" and not intentional, which justifies the staying of the criminal charges.

The judgeagreed with the Crown that there was nothing that indicated Singh was driving dangerously or intended to run the light.

His truck was loaded with heavy pipes at the time.Slough accepted Singh would not have been able to stop in time for the red light after failing to notice the warning lights.

Slough also acknowledged that no sentence or fine could ease the pain of the families who lost their loved ones.

The families said the sentence doesn't offer them any sense justice or closure.

"We don't get to have our kids back and [Singh's] sitting there worried about having to drive again? No, that's not right," said Hunking.

"He should never be able to drive again. My daughter and Dorian don't ever get to do that," she said.

"They're gone forever and he's sitting there worried whether he's going to have a job or not."

'I really hope he is sorry, but that's not going to change our daughter being gone'

6 years ago

Duration 2:12

The families of two young people killed in a 2017 Manitoba highway crash say they don't feel any sense of closure after a guilty plea in a Portage la Prairie courtroom Wednesday morning.