Driving causing death: sentence on January 17 for Samuel Vallières

The public prosecutor is calling for an exemplary sentence for Samuel Vallières, guilty of dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm. Judge Marie-Chantal Brassard, of the Court of Quebec, heard observations on the sentence on Thursday at the Amos courthouse, and must deliver her sentence on January 17.

The 22-year-old from Amos pleaded guilty to these charges last July. On May 8, 2022, Samuel Vallières lost control of his car, an Audi A4, while he was speeding northbound on Route 109 in Saint-Félix-de-Dalquier.

He veered out of his lane and collided head-on with an oncoming car, killing the driver and seriously injuring his 12-year-old stepson. According to Sûreté du Québec collision investigators, Vallières was traveling between 173 and 188 km/h at the time of impact. The investigation also showed that he was not impaired.

The boy suffered multiple traumas, was hospitalized for three months in Sainte-Justine and today lives with physical and psychological after-effects. Me Marianne Roux, from the public prosecutor’s office, read a written statement in which he describes the consequences of this crime on his life.

It’s still difficult to cope with, because my life will never be the same again. I will have to change my career choice because going to school is very difficult. The physical pain is strong. My adolescence was scrapped, it remains to be seen if my adult life will be toohe wrote.

The victim’s daughter testified in writing about the heavy loss she suffered on Mother’s Day. Feelings of rage and revolt, but also discouragement and a loss of motivation inhabit him.

An exemplary sentence

Me Roux believes that an exemplary sentence of 4 and a half years in prison, with a ban on driving for five years, is necessary to deter the offender and any other person from driving at such dangerous speeds.

She spoke of the harm suffered by the victims and their families, his very high level of responsibility and the fact that he was driving at almost double the speed limit of 90 km/h. The public prosecutor recognized, on the other hand, the lack of history, his age of 19 at the time of the facts and the regrets he expressed.

He also highlighted illegal overtaking on double lines that he had carried out in February 2021, and two other violations of the road safety code. He did not have his registration documents on one occasion, and at the time of the accident his vehicle was not insured.

A candidate for rehabilitation

For her part, Me Véronique Talbot insisted on the rehabilitation potential of her client, whose journey has already begun. She recalled his young age, his guilty plea, the lack of prior record and his remorse expressed on more than one occasion.

She believes that the sentence requested by the public prosecutor is too high and that a sentence of two years less one day of detention, which could be served in the community, would better meet the rehabilitation objectives that the court must aim for, according to her.

Samuel Vallières testified about the serious injuries he suffered in the accident and which required hospitalization for a month and left him, too, with after-effects. He has been banned from driving since his release in October 2022.

He said he was ready to undertake any therapy related to the problematic use of cannabis that he had recently developed. He is also ready to follow up on a psychological level to resolve other problems linked to his childhood which may have contributed to his impulsivity and his lack of judgment.

Vallières argued for a sentence of less than two years, which would allow him to be incarcerated in Amos, near his family. He says he also became aware of the impact of his actions on the lives of the victims and that he is no longer the same person since this tragedy, which he thinks about every day. The letters read in court also shook him.

I really hope you can forgive me one day. I’m sorry, really sorrydeclared Samuel Vallières.