By Ryan Pilon

Man sentenced for fatal car wreck

Nov 22, 2010 | 9:17 AM

Andrew MacDonald, 20, is heading to a provincial correctional facility for hitting a Checker Taxi with his truck, killing a 44-year-old woman and injuring three others.

MacDonald will serve 20 months for dangerous driving causing death, and three consecutive months for dangerous driving causing bodily harm.  MacDonald pleaded guilty to both counts.

The incident occurred last December at the corner of Ninth Avenue and 13th St. W.

MacDonald was driving from one party to another while intoxicated.  The woman he killed was Tammy Stene-Arcand.

The Crown said, MacDonald's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the accident. 

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After the sentence was handed down, MacDonald hugged his family, whom were all weeping. 

MacDonald was emotional too, and told the judge before his sentencing, “I don't want to leave my family.  I don't want to leave my daughter.  She means everything to me.”

The Crown was looking for a two-year sentence in a federal penitentiary, but was still pleased with the judge's decision.

“The Crown is satisfied that the judge took into account the accused's circumstances – he's a young man with no prior criminal record – and looked at the case law in the area, and gave a sentence within the range… It's really a month less than what we had asked for,” said Crown prosecutor Cynthia Alexander.

The judge said, he also took into account MacDonald's exemplary behavior since the incident, and that he appeared to be sincerely remorseful. 

In court, the judge read part of an apology letter MacDonald had written to the victim's family.  In it, MacDonald said that he's sorry for what he did, that he constantly thinks about what he did, and that he never meant for it to happen.

The judge also read part of the victim’s impact statement provided by Tammy Stene-Arcand’s husband.  He wrote, he felt the life he should have had with his wife was stolen from him, her death has greatly affected the entire family, and he hoped justice would be served.

Along with the 23 months in jail, MacDonald is prohibited from operating a vehicle for three years, his driver’s license is suspended, and he has to pay $200 for the federal victim’s surcharge. 

rpilon@panow.com