A 21-year-old man who killed two people in a crash in downtown Calgary last year will learn his fate next month.
Ali Montoya was driving a Cadillac Escalade on Macleod Trail at around 2 a.m. on May 2, 2015, when he ran a red light in the intersection of 12 Avenue S.E., hitting a Honda Civic and a taxi.
The driver of the taxi, 46-year-old Amritpal Kharbanda, and his passenger, 25-year-old Jillian Lavallee, were both killed. The driver of the Civic suffered serious injuries.
READ MORE: Father of two and young woman killed in multi-vehicle crash in the Beltline
Montoya was originally charged with impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm. However, in May, he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal negligence causing death and one count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Montoya admitted to speeding and running multiple red lights before hitting the taxi. He had a blood alcohol of .11, over the legal limit of .08.
READ MORE: ‘I’m so going to jail’: Accused in fatal cabbie crash told police
On Wednesday, court heard victim impact statements from Kharband and Lavallee’s families and friends.
“There’s just so much sadness that’s been created by this,” Lavallee’s mother Brenda said.
“I’m too young to not forgive people and just live my life in anger,” Lavallee’s sister Caitlin said.
“It will forever hurt.”
Montoya is scheduled to be sentenced on November 25.
Both the Crown and defence have suggested Montoya serve four and a half years in prison.
“It would be wonderful if they look at two lives lost, and consider that perhaps four and a half years isn’t proportional. In our minds it certainly isn’t,” Lavallee’s father said. “We understand their logic, but we wish that there was a stronger statement made to people that consider driving drunk.”