Crown pushes for 6-year sentence for supervisor convicted in fatal crash case

Victim impact statements were read in a Barrie courtroom on Tuesday ahead of sentencing for a man convicted of criminal negligence causing the death of a dump truck driver four years ago.

The Crown read the impact statement on behalf of Denis Garant’s widow, saying his death along the Adjala-Tosorontio-New Tecumseth Townline on Sept. 22, 2020, crushed their family, leaving them traumatized and in financial peril.

Milton Urgiles, who was Garant’s supervisor at the time of the crash, was found guilty in July after the Crown argued he ignored the 53-year-old man’s concerns regarding issues with the dump truck.

Justice Mary Vallee ruled Urgiles failed to ensure the dump truck was safe for driving the day of the fatal collision.

An expert testified the front left tire had very little tread and should never have been on the road that day.

Garant’s widow described her financial struggles in her victim impact statement, noting monthly payments from the Workplace Safety Insurance Board were a small fraction of what her husband would have earned.

She told the court her husband’s untimely death forced her to leave her job to care for their son who is on the autism spectrum.

The Crown called Urgiles “morally corrupt,” adding he ignored the warning signs and “sent a man to his death,” making his wife a widow and their child fatherless.

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Emergency crews attend the scene of a fatal collision on Adjala-Tecumseth Townline near Alliston, Ont., on Tues., Sept. 22, 2020. (Source: OPP)

The Crown pointed to a presentence report, which stated Urgiles would benefit from safety training and counselling programs, saying, “What counselling would he benefit from? A course on caring for basic human life?”

The Crown is asking for Urgiles to be sentenced to six years in custody.

The defence told the court Urgiles is remorseful, adding he cooperated with investigators following the crash.

The defence emphasized Urgiles would have to live with the ramifications of his actions, asking for him to be given a conditional sentence of two years less a day under house arrest followed by probation for three years.

The matter returns to court next week to set a date for sentencing.