Driver charged in Hwy. 401 crash near Dutton that killed mother, daughter pleads guilty

The man charged in connection with last summer’s fatal crash along Highway 401 near Dutton that claimed the life of a London mother and her daughter, has pleaded guilty to the charges he faced.

Hubert Domonchuk, 53, appeared in court Wednesday in St. Thomas where he entered the plea on charges that included two counts of impaired driving causing death.

“I was pleasantly surprised with the guilty verdict,” said Alysson Storey a family friend of the victims who, since the crash has become an advocate for concrete barriers along the stretch of Highway 401 near Chatham.

“It doesn’t change the outcome, but it does help us start to move on and close this chapter. Him fighting these eight charges was not an acceptable choice for us as friends and family of Sarah and Freya,” said Storey.

On Aug. 29, 2017, 42-year-old Sarah Payne and her 5-year-old daughter Freya, died after a pickup truck crossed Highway 401 into the westbound lanes near Dutton and hit their minivan.

Payne’s young son was also in the minivan and suffered serious injuries.

“Two fatal errors were made that day,” said Storey.

“One of them was when Mr. Domonchuk made the deadly and illegal decision to drink and drive, at high rate of speed for several hundred kilometres, putting hundreds of lives at risk,” she said.

“The second fatal error was made by the provincial government refusing to build a concrete median barrier.”

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In February, the province announced it would install high-tension cable barriers in the short-term while they look into eventually installing concerete barriers.

WATCH: Police search for driver who fled scene after Hwy 401 crash in Whitby

0:39 Aerial view of a fatal crash involving 3 transport trucks on Hwy. 401 in Mississauga

It’s been just over a year since the crash and Alysson said they’re still processing the loss.

“We just marked the first anniversary. It’s still very difficult because it’s so senseless and it was preventable,” said Storey.

“Sarah was such a wonderful woman, she helped people who had spinal cord injuries learn to walk again and Freya was only five years old,” she said.

“Nothing can bring them back. It’s still very painful.”

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A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 17. The Crown and defence are expected to put forward a joint submission that would see Domonchuk serve eight years in prison.