Man, 21, pleads guilty in fiery crash
On her wedding day, the daughter of a woman killed by a drunk driver found herself surrounded by flowers from her mother’s funeral held three days earlier.
Many people wiped away tears in an Edmonton courtroom Friday as they listened to two dozen accounts of shattered lives and broken hearts in the aftermath of the death of Joann Christou, 50, who was killed on Oct. 24, 2016, when Eric Lestar drove his car into the back of her Nissan Xterra.
Court heard submissions on sentencing after Lestar, 21, pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death.
The prosecution argued for a five-year prison sentence to be followed by a five-year driving prohibition, and an order for Lestar to submit a DNA sample to a federal database. Lestar’s defence lawyer, James Raworth, argued for a threeyear sentence.
An agreed statement of facts entered with the court by Crown prosecutor Mark van Manen detailed how Lestar, after drinking 21/2 pints at a bar, sped through a yellow light at 97 Street and 160 Avenue during busy afternoon rush-hour traffic. His Infiniti G37 struck the back of Christou’s Nissan, sending the Xterra rolling into a ditch.
His car also ended up in the ditch.
Court heard Christou’s vehicle burst into flames. Bystanders and police tried to save her. One witness reported seeing her hit her head on the vehicle’s steering wheel. Multiple people heard her screaming as the vehicle burned.
Her death, based on the investigation and an autopsy, was attributed to “multiple injuries.”
Investigators determined Lestar’s vehicle was travelling between 116 and 129 km/h in the moments before the collision. The speed limit was 70 km/h.
His blood alcohol concentration was found to be more than two times the legal limit.
He was in “good spirits and laughing” as he received medical
treatment at the scene, court heard.
Husband Brian Christou, whose son had died unexpectedly just months before his wife’s death, spoke about the crushing loss to himself, their children, grandchildren and extended family during a victim impact statement.
“I often find myself wondering ‘Did this really happen?’ ” he said.
The couple had a blended family, each with their own children, many of whom addressed the court. Friends, other family members, and a witness to the crash all submitted victim impact statements that ranged from tearful and angry to fond remembrances of Christou, who was known for her infectious laugh and smile.
A niece remembered Christou crying with her after learning of her miscarriage. Her colleagues said they’ve left plants and pictures in her office untouched.
One of Christou’s daughters, Sarina Gosse, described having planned every detail of her wedding with her mother, only to have her suddenly taken away.
“I lost my person,” she said. Several of the victim impact statements touched on the senselessness of Christou’s death.
Provincial court Judge Larry Anderson reserved his decision on sentencing until Dec. 11.