Woman jailed 6 months for drug-fuelled car ride

Took 4-year-old girl along on erratic spree, causing two accidents

Ajudge has jailed a Toronto woman for six months after she took her friend’s 4-year-old daughter without permission and went on a wild, drug-fuelled car ride, causing two accidents. “The message of this court must be clear that those who are extremely intoxicated and get behind the wheel will be dealt with harshly,” Ontario Superior Court Justice John McMahon said Friday. “I find the fact she put an innocent child at risk of significant harm to be an aggravating factor.” Tara Hebscher, 49, started crying when the judge pronounced sentence. Hebscher pleaded guilty in February to impaired driving and failing to stop. Crown prosecutor Katherine Rogozinski withdrew a child abduction charge Friday. According to the agreed facts, Hebscher’s friend, Veronica Wentzell, and her daughter Jessica, visited her house near Kipling and Eglinton Aves. on May 29, 2010. While Wentzell was using Hebscher’s washroom, Hebscher took off in her van with the little girl in the back seat. At first, Wentzell believed they had gone to the store, but she became concerned when she noticed an empty Oxycontin prescription bottle. She called police to say her daughter had been abducted.

At 10:46 p.m., a witness saw Hebscher’s Chevrolet van run two red lights. She rear-ended the vehicle of an elderly man, Giuseppe Panettieri, who was driving two elderly passengers. They were not injured.

Hebscher refused to identify herself and offered Panettieri money not to call police, then drove away, according to the facts.

She continued to drive erratically, sparking phone calls from citizens. At11:20 p.m., she hit a vehicle driven by Daniel Burgoa. She had crossed the centre median and sideswiped the rear of his car. He had his wife and two children, 6 and 8, in the vehicle.

When police arrived, the little girl was in the back seat of Hebscher’s van with an unfastened seatbelt across her body.

Hebscher was unsteady, confused and slurring her speech.

She was rushed to hospital, falling in and out of consciousness, and having difficulty breathing. Doctors diagnosed her with a drug overdose.

Toxicology tests showed high levels of codeine and oxycodone in her system, along with trace levels of methadone.

The Crown asked for six to 10 months in custody.

The judge gave her six months. He also imposed three years probation to follow and a three-year driving prohibition, also requested by the Crown.

Defence lawyer Brad Pearson asked for a suspended sentence and probation.

Hebscher told the judge she feels terrible about the incidents. “I want to get better. It will never happen again,” she said.