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Sylvain Laroche's accident as he headed up Princeton Drive out of Peachland.
A motorcycle accident that nearly killed him and his common-law wife has now earned a man 18 months of house arrest and a three-year driving prohibition.
Sylvain Laroche, 47, was sentenced this afternoon in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna on a single count of impaired driving causing bodily harm in connection with the accident Sept. 4, 2006, on Princeton Avenue in Peachland.
He had just left a pub and was drunk when he crashed the bike, a newer-model Harley Davidson, throwing him and Noreen Gudmonson to the pavement.
Laroche had to be revived by emergency workers and was later airlifted to hospital in Vancouver to have surgery on his damaged aorta. He also cracked two vertebrae, broke his pelvis and had his left leg amputated below the knee. Gudmonson, a nurse, suffered a fractured pelvis and a head injury that required her to be placed in a drug-induced coma for a month. She chose not to participate in the proceedings. The two are no longer together but apparently remain on good terms.
In recounting the circumstances of the matter, Justice Geoff Barrow said a witness testified at trial that she was driving down Princeton Avenue towards Peachland when she saw the motorcycle “wobbling” as it headed towards her. As she pulled over, the motorcycle went out of control and slid into the front of her car.
Another witness, who lived nearby, suggested that manhole covers that laid above the surface of the road may have caused Laroche to lose control. However, Barrow ruled that the extended period of “wobbling” was due to Laroche’s impairment.
Despite him coming to court with an unenviable driving record, including convictions for driving while impaired, Barrow looked favourably on Laroche’s efforts since the crash to accept responsibility and show remorse. The court received a letter from a social worker that indicated Laroche has completed a course that will allow him to counsel other recent amputees.
The terms of his house arrest include a 24-hour curfew for the first nine months, except for work or medical emergencies, and a three-hour period once a week for personal errands. That curfew will be eased to 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily in the back half of the sentence. In addition, Laroche was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community work service.
The Crown sought an 18-month jail sentence. Barrow directed a judicial stay or proceedings on two other counts: dangerous driving causing bodily harm and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08.
joe@kelowna.com
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Tags: bc supreme court, justice geoff barrow, sylvain laroche
