A 33-year-old Delaware, Ontario man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for an impaired driving crash that killed two men, and critically injured two other people.
Scott Altiman was the “master of his own misfortune,” Justice John Skowronski said in a London courtroom Thursday morning.
On Sept 8, 2016, witnesses had seen Altiman’s 2011 Dodge Charger driving at high speed along Highbury Avenue, and running a red light. It was 1:15 a.m. when he blasted through another red light at the intersection of Dundas Street and Highbury Avenue, crashing into Eric Allenson’s 1987 Buick.
Allenson’s car “launched into the air, flipping and spinning until it landed, rolled, and slammed into a hydro pole,” said the judge.
Skowronski went on to describe how the impact tore the vehicle in two pieces. Cody Andrews, 23, and Jerry Pitre, 46, who had been sitting in the back seat, were both killed. Allenson and his partner, Carlie Matthews, who were both 25, were critically injured in the front seats.
But Altiman kept driving. He swerved, crossing a median, and crashed through the front porches of two homes on Highbury Avenue before coming to a stop.
A responding police officer smelled alcohol on Altiman’s breath, and saw empty beer cans lying in the vehicle. Emergency crews recalled hearing Altiman snoring in the driver’s seat, as they scrambled to get him out the vehicle, which had started to catch fire.
Altiman had more than twice the legal limit of alcohol in his blood, and had been driving as fast as 187 km/h five seconds before the devastating impact.
“This is such a significant loss, such a horrible waste of humanity,” said Skowronski. “The court cannot lesson the tears.”
Matthews spent 70 days in hospital following the crash with a 50 per cent chance of survival. Her partner, Allenson, remembers not being able to attend Pitre or Andrews’ funeral.
“I don’t think that’s closure at all,” he told reporters outside the courthouse.
Cody Andrew’s mother, Shauna, gave a heavy sigh of relief as the judge handed Altiman a 10-year sentence and a 15-year driving prohibition.
“I’ll never forgive you Scott,” she cried out, as Altiman was led by police out of the courtroom.
Speaking with reporters afterwards, Shauna Andrews spoke of how she promised to use her voice to try to change the penalties for charges of impaired driving and criminal negligence causing death.
“It wasn’t an accident, or an act of God, it was Scott’s deliberate choice to drive impaired at unfathomable speeds that killed my son,” she said.
Dave Andrews, Cody’s father, described Altiman’s actions as being the equivalent of murder.
“Cody didn’t deserve to lose his life for Scott Altiman’s choice in committing this despicable crime, for his night of fun and recklessness. Cody should be here. Cody should be here to be loved by his family and friends. He should be here to outlive his parents, and carry on his own family, fulfil his own dreams and passions in life. That will never happen, because of Scott Altiman.”
Jerry Pitre’s mother, Rose Imhoff, says Altiman’s 10 years behind bars brings her relief.
“I’ll never forgive him for what he’s done, I miss my son,” she said.
“Christmas was the hardest for me. And my birthday. Because he was always there for me, he was my right-hand man.”
Altiman had pleaded guilty to two counts of impaired driving causing death, two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, two counts of criminal negligence causing death and two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
His lawyer asked for a four- to six-year sentence to be served in an aboriginal healing lodge, while the Crown asked for a 10-year sentence.