N.L. man pleads guilty in 2019 crash that killed couple, paralyzed man

A man charged following a head-on collision that killed two people and partially paralyzed another has pleaded guilty.

Nicholas Villeneuve, facing eight charges in Gander court this week, pleaded guilty to one count of impaired operation causing death, and, according to Crown attorney Amanda Hiscock, more guilty pleas are anticipated.

Villeneuvedid notappear in Gander court Tuesday for the plea.

In the early morning hours of July 9, 2019, Villeneuve, then 20, was driving home from a music festival when his pickup truck collided with an SUV carrying John and Sandra Lush, who died at the scene. Their daughter Suzanne and her boyfriend Josh Whiteway passengers in the SUV suffered serious injuries, and Whiteway was left partially paralyzed.

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After the collision, police brought Villeneuve to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries to his face. He was read a caution from the RCMP officer twice but not read his rights to counsel.

Defence attorney Rosellen Sullivan filed an application claiming the police violated Villeneuve's rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which spells out the right for everyone who is detained by police to consult a lawyer without delay.

Judge Mark Linehan said at the time that the constable effectively detained the accused the moment the officer began a "focused questioning of him about the accident," thus ruling the evidence as inadmissible.

Villeneuve walked away a free man in February 2021.

The matter was then appealed by the Crown, and the Court of Appeal judges agreed the trial judge made errors. A retrial was ordered.

Since then, the matter has been making its way through Gander provincial court.

Tuesday's guilty pleas mean a presentence report has nowordered in the case. It's expected to take six to eight weeks.

Villeneuve is charged with two counts each of impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

The matter is scheduled to be called again in Gander provincial court Nov. 12.

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