Driving ban, prison time for impaired driver in deadly Regina crash

Brian Okemahwasin is facing seven years and seven months in prison for driving drunk and killing a 72-year-old Regina man last June.

After hearing the sentence Garry Tatham’s widow broke down into tears and was comforted by her remaining family. Her husband of 37 years was stopped at a red light on Albert Street at 6th Avenue North when Okemahwasin’s truck hit the car from behind at a speed of 94 kilometres an hour.

Judge Jeffrey Kalmakoff described Tatham as an innocent victim who found himself in the path of a grossly impaired driver. He died at the scene of the crash.

Okemahwasin had no license and a blood alcohol content exceeding more than three and a half times the legal limit when he was taken into custody by police at the scene. He was so drunk he didn’t even know what city he was in.
 
The judge described his prior criminal record of more than 200 convictions as appalling. He admitted to the court that four prior sentences for impaired driving had failed to protect the public. Kalmakoff pointed out that Okemahwasin has had many chances to deal with his personal issues and alcoholism through programming during his past convictions but always returns to drinking. He told the court that while he cannot ignore the need for rehabilitation, his past record showed a failure to make any progress through court-ordered programming.