It was another emotional day in court in the sentencing of Tyler Scott Goodman, as more heart-wrenching victim impact statements were made.
Goodman has pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene of the crash at Kildare Avenue and Bond Street, where the life of 24-year-old Jordyn Reimer was taken in May 2022.
About 80 of the young woman’s family members and friends, clad in purple shirts with Jordyn’s photo on them, filled the courtroom and made their statements, many speaking through tears and trembling hands.
More than 120 victim impact statements were submitted to court.
On Friday, a friend of Karen Reimer, the victim’s mother, spoke about how hard Jordyn’s death was on her, and how she would be there for Karen’s panic attacks after Jordyn’s death. She said Karen would “cry out Jordyn’s name and say, ‘my baby, my baby,’ over and over.”
Some described their immense sadness and seething anger after Jordyn’s death, turning and saying directly to Goodman, “she was left alone to die.”
Goodman sat beside his mother, Laurie Goodman, in the prisoner’s box. Both showed little emotion during the victim impact statements.
- What we know — and don’t — in Ontario’s deadly Highway 401 police pursuit crash
- Infant, grandparents killed in Highway 401 crash after police pursuit from LCBO robbery
- Parents of slain Halifax teen grapple with grief, anger: ‘No one listened’
- London sword attack: 14-year-old killed, 4 injured by man on stabbing spree
Laurie Goodman has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with picking Tyler up after the collision and being dishonest with police, the court heard.
In closing submissions, court heard from the defence that Tyler Goodman admitted to having nine or 10 drinks before leaving Joe’s Pandora Inn on Bond Street just before 2 a.m. on May 1, 2022. Earlier in the proceedings, court heard that Goodman’s truck reached up to 116 km/h in a 50 zone on Bond Street. His vehicle was travelling at 108 km/h in a 50 zone at the time of impact. Jordyn, whom court heard was a designated driver on the night crash, was driving 52 km/h.
In the defence’s closing submissions, they also heard that Laurie Goodman, 58, picked up Tyler from a Dairy Queen on Day Street after the crash and took him home. Tyler didn’t tell her he was in an accident until the following day. She took him to the hospital, and then to police afterwards.
Court heard Laurie lied to police, saying she didn’t know when Tyler had come home and didn’t see him until the following morning.
After the defence made their closing submissions, both Tyler and Laurie addressed the court.
Laurie became emotional while speaking, apologizing for the pain that has been inflicted upon the Reimer family. She said she is just as disappointed in her actions as her son’s actions.
“I regret the choice I made to be dishonest with police,” she said.
Tyler Goodman also addressed the court.
“I want to express my remorse in the deepest way possible,” Tyler Goodman said, adding the incident will stay with him for the rest of his life.
“Lots of that night are with me in every waking hour,” he said.
Outside of court Friday, there were emotional embraces between family and friends and calls for justice for Jordyn. The family said the words from the Goodmans in court will never make up for the damage done.
“Those are hollow words, they mean nothing to me, there will never be any forgiveness. I don’t believe there’s any true remorse; his actions that night show that,” Doug Reimer, Jordyn’s father said outside of court.
“When you leave a scene, a horrific scene like that, and go off to sleep off your drunk… there’s no remorse, there’s no forgiveness, there’s no apology. He had 18 months to reach out. Not one card, not one nothing from the families of the passengers, nothing from the family of the accused, nothing, zero. So on this day, a year and a half later, it means nothing to me.”
Karen Reimer, Jordyn’s mother, said the amount of people coming out to show their support is a testament to the person Jordyn was.
“This is a testament to what a great, great person Jordyn was. How great her sisters are and how strong they are to stand up in this time of horrible grief and be a voice for Jordyn,” Karen said.
“We know if Jordyn was here she would say, ‘Let’s start a riot cause we’re going to make this right’. And that’s what she would have done and we have to do that for her.”
Alex Reimer, Jordyn’s sister, said the whole court process has been extremely hard on the family and friends.
“This was the most painful, excruciating experience of our lives to lose Jordyn and then to have to relive and hear all of those facts again in court and have the defence attempt to dispute them or diminish them or belittle them,” Alex said.
The Crown is seeking six years for the impaired driving causing death charge, and one consecutive year for the charge of failing to remain at the scene.
The defence is asking for four and a half years for impaired driving causing death, and one consecutive year for failing to remain as the scene.
A joint submission is also being made for a six-month conditional sentence for Goodman’s mom.
The judge has reserved his decision for later this month. Something Doug Reimer says they’ve been waiting a long time for.
“Can’t come fast enough,” Doug said.
“One of our biggest fears was this was going to drag past Christmas and he was going to get another Christmas (out of custody). And that would have been devastating.”
— with files from Daisy Woelk
Comments