Teenage driver guilty of careless driving in fatal Ontario crash

In March 2013, a teenager was driving a 2009 Acura SUV in an easterly direction on Lake Shore Boulevard East in Toronto when his vehicle went out of control, crossed over three lanes of traffic, took out a guard rail and plunged its five teenage occupants into the Don River. One of the occupants, 16, was under water for about a half-hour. After police divers and Toronto fire fighters were able to free the teenager, he was transported to St. Michael’s Hospital but died about five hours later. The other four occupants, including the driver, suffered minor injuries.

On May 22, the driver pleaded guilty to careless driving, a traffic offence by Ontario law. He had originally faced charges of criminal negligence and operation of a motor vehicle causing death, which are more serious charges and could have resulted in jail time. By pleading guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving, he will receive a lighter sentence.

The report does not mention why the teenage driver lost control of the vehicle. There is no mention of drugs or alcohol being involved.

A person injured in a car accident often has severe pain and may have to undergo physical therapy or require long-term care. Financial damages are a possibility, especially if a person’s injuries prevent them from returning to work. When an accident is caused by a negligent driver, it is sometimes possible to seek compensation by filing a personal injury claim. If a person dies as the result of a car accident, the family of the victim could consider filing a wrongful death action to seek compensation for their losses.

Source: Toronto Star , “Driver involved in fatal crash into Don River avoids jail time“, Laurent Bastien, May 22, 2014