Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Crown wants four years for driver whose crash left friend brain damaged

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 10/22/2012 5:09 PM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 10/22/2012 6:09 PM | Updates

It started with something so positive: two men volunteering to sandbag for those impacted by a looming spring flood.

But it ended so tragically: with one man permanently brain damaged, the other facing a stint in prison and a lifetime of regret.

Such is the case of Daniel Dupuis, who was convicted of impaired driving causing bodily harm for an April 2009 crash that forever altered the life of his friend. Dupuis was back in court Monday, where the Crown is seeking four years in prison and a 10-year driving ban. Dupuis, 41, is asking for a penalty of two years behind bars. Queen’s Bench Justice Diana Cameron has reserved her decision until later this year.

"If I could change places with David... I will always have a guilty conscience for what happened to David," an emotional Dupuis told court Monday.

The 48-year-old victim, David Catellier, suffered catastrophic injuries when the car Dupuis was driving hit a patch of ice and slammed into a sign on St. Anne’s road in the early morning hours of Apr. 4, 2009. They included a fractured spine, losing part of his scalp and several crushed ribs.

"I thank God I’m alive," the victim wrote in a statement read aloud in court by the Crown. He is now under 24-hour daily care at a personal care home and will never make a full recovery. He still struggles with basic tasks such as walking and talking and lost his ability to work as a welder.

The victim and Dupuis had spent the previous evening sandbagging, then went out to a mutual friend’s home where they consumed several drinks before heading home. Dupuis had a blood-alcohol reading of nearly three times the legal limit at the time of the crash. He was also travelling 100 km-h in a 60 km-h zone, court was told.

"I made a very bad choice. I drove and I shouldn’t have," Dupuis told court. He also was injured in the crash and had to be cut out of the wreckage of his crumpled car.

Dupuis has an extensive criminal past including a prior drunk driving conviction, several breaches of court orders and fraud-related offences.

www.mikeoncrime.com

History

Updated on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 6:09 PM CDT: Clarifies charge

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.