A 27-year-old Richmond Hill, Ont. woman with a history of impaired driving that included causing the death of a cyclist in 2015 has had her full parole revoked after she was recently caught drunk driving again in June.
“Despite having completed programming, demonstrating a period of sobriety in the community, and showing positive process, you chose to drink and get behind the wheel of a car,” the Parole Board of Canada wrote in its decision for Darya Selinevich dated Dec. 3.
“Clearly, you had resumed your offence cycle.”
Selinevich was convicted of impaired driving last August. Police had pulled her over on June 21 after receiving calls about an erratic driver on Highway 400 between Barrie and Toronto. Officers gave her a roadside test, which she failed, and tested over two times the legal limit for alcohol.
She was given an 18-month sentence to be served consecutive to another she was already serving, plus a six-month sentence on top of that for driving while prohibited. After she is released from custody, Selinevich will also have a three-year driving ban.
“You have not demonstrated an ability to follow the conditions of parole, driving prohibitions, or the law,” the Parole Board of Canada wrote.
“You have not demonstrated that your risk is manageable on parole nor have you presented a plan for parole that manages the serious and grave public safety risks your return to drinking and driving has caused.”
Cyclist killed in Toronto in June 2015
On June 11, 2015, 44-year-old Zhi Yong Kang was riding his bicycle on Finch Avenue West approaching Tobermory Drive in Toronto when he was struck and killed.
According to court documents, Selinevich who was 22 years old at the time, was impaired and allegedly driving at about 110 km/h along Finch Avenue West, where the posted speed limit was 60 km/h, when she hit Kang who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police allege Selinevich fled the scene and continued driving her significantly damaged vehicle when she was stopped a short time later by officers.
Selinevich did not provide a sample of her breath after police told her Kang had died, according to the court documents, but officers said, “There was a very strong odour of alcohol” coming from her breath. She later admitted that she had consumed a significant amount of alcohol.
On Sept. 12, 2016, Selinevich pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death, failing to stop at the scene of the accident, failing to stop for police, refusing to provide a breath sample and driving while disqualified.
Months later, in January 2017, the judge had sentenced Selinevich to seven years in prison, but after credit for pre-trial custody, her sentence was reduced to 4.5 years. In addition to her custodial sentence, the judge imposed a driving prohibition of 10 years on Selinevich.
According to Parole Board of Canada documents, Selinevich was granted day parole in January 2018 and full parole in October of that year after spending three years and four months in prison.
Another drinking and driving offence
Prior to Kang’s death, Selinevich had pleaded guilty to a previous drinking and driving offence a month earlier on May 12, 2015. At that time, she admitted to driving with over 80 mg of alcohol in her blood in September 2013.
She was sentenced to a $1,200 fine for that offence and was prohibited from driving for one year, according to court documents.
The court documents also indicated Selinevich had a prior driving record with three speeding tickets for driving at speeds well above the legal limit in 2012, and in 2014 she was found guilty of disobeying a red light in 2013.
— With files from Catherine McDonald