The mother of a teenager killed by his best friend who was overheating and too drunk bears no grudge against the accused, who now faces prison despite significant cognitive after-effects.
“Julien did not cause the death of my son, they both made a bad decision together. Noah would not hold Julien responsible, and neither would I,” Marie-Christine Parent testified Thursday morning at the Montreal courthouse.
Noah Leewis Mercier, 16, died after a road accident in December 2021, when his friend Julien Ségaux lost control of his vehicle on an access ramp to Highway 20. The latter pleaded guilty in August the latter to a charge of impaired driving causing death.
The 21-year-old accused, however, still lives with permanent cognitive after-effects which prevent him from being independent and does not remember the accident.
“Knowing this in prison will only increase my worry and my suffering, I think everyone has suffered enough,” said Ms. Parent, who traveled from Gaspésie to attend the hearing.
Too fast and too drunk
On the day of the tragedy, Noah was in Saint-Lazare, in Montérégie, to visit friends and family.
After playing video games and drinking beer, the two young people borrowed Ségaux’s mother’s Honda Civic in the middle of the night to go to Montreal.
“My son was reckless, he didn’t need anyone to make bad decisions and put himself in danger. If he had had his license, it would perhaps have been him who would have been sitting in Julien’s place,” underlined Ms. Parent.
After driving at very high speed, Ségaux hit a concrete barrier on the Highway 20 access ramp in Pointe-Claire. The car was propelled into the air, and fell several meters lower.
The Honda Civic in which Noah Leewis Mercier and Julien Ségaux were sitting finished its race on Cardinal Boulevard in Pointe-Claire.
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The blood alcohol level of Ségaux, then aged 18, was 139 mg/100 ml, while it is zero tolerance for drivers of this age. The exact speed during the impact could not be established by the reconstructionist.
Rehabilitation
The two young people were transported to a hospital, where they were admitted to intensive care. Noah Leewis Mercier died a few days later, while Julien Ségaux finally woke up after three weeks.
After a long rehabilitation process, he was able to return to his home, across the street from Noah’s family home.
“It’s really hard for us to see him every day. We can’t help but think of Noah every time. This reminds us of our pain,” underlined Soulanges MP Marilyne Picard, the victim’s mother-in-law.
The Crown prosecutor, Me Sylvie Dulude estimates that this crime requires a sentence of two years less one day in prison. The defense will request a sentence to be served at home.
The hearing, chaired by Judge Jean-Jacques Gagné, continues Thursday afternoon.
What they said
“I would like to do something to make amends and apologize to his family and friends” — Julien Ségaux, accused
“Prison is an unknown world for Julien, I am very worried about his adaptation, his health and his safety” — Maria Ricciardelli, mother of the accused
“Julien made the worst decision of his life and the consequences were devastating. He is already living his greatest sentence and will live it for the rest of his days: living with the death of his best friend and its many permanent after-effects” — Alessia and Laetitia Ségaux, sisters of the accused
