Man sentenced in hit-and-run that killed Gatineau jogger
The driver in a January 2016 hit-and-run that killed a jogger in Gatineau was sentenced to nearly two years in jail Thursday and banned from driving for five years.
Mark Laviolette was running on the side of the road, jogging against traffic so he could see oncoming cars on Lucerne Boulevard near Pine Street.
Francois Charlebois was driving an SUV and "left his lane and crossed the median line in the opposite direction" when he hit the jogger in the back, according to Crown lawyer Stéphane Roland.
Laviolette, who was in his 40s, was thrown a distance of 30 metres and died before emergency crews arrived, Roland said.
The Crown sought the sentence of two years, less one day, which is the maximum available in a hit and run case.
Roland said Charlebois had a long history of driving infractions including speeding, running red lights and failure to stop.
"There was also an absence of remorse and regret on the part of Mr. Charlebois for the crime he committed," Roland said in French.
"The term used by the court to describe his crime was 'callous disregard for human life.'"
Don't text and drive: widow
Mark Laviolette's family is hoping to finally have the chance to grieve. His wife Chantal Belley said she has been struggling for closure since the sudden death of her husband.
"It was very difficult for me. You go to bed Saturday night and you don't see you husband anymore," she said in French.
"Today, it's over. I can finally tell my husband he can rest in peace."
Belley hopes to raise awareness for drivers about the important of paying attention on the road.
"When you get behind the wheel, please, don't text, don't be on your phone. If you're too tired to drive, don't drive because it can happen really quickly," she said. "I'm a victim because my husband got killed that way."
Belley is keeping the medals Laviolette won in various races.
"It was such a passion for him. I'm convinced that up there, he's still running," she said.
