Deadly Hwy 11 drunk driver banned from driving for three more years following arrest

Andrew Fallows, the man convicted of driving drunk in a 2014 crash that killed his passenger, is no longer behind bars.

Following his arrest by Rama Police on May 11, the 35-year-old pleaded guilty to driving while prohibited.

In exchange for a guilty plea, Fallows' sentence prohibits him from driving for three years.

He was given 90 days of time credited after serving 60 behind bars in pre-sentence custody.

Fallows had been out on full parole since August 2021 after being sentenced to nine years in prison in late 2017 for a crash that killed his passenger, Shania Slater.

The 18-year-old Orillia teen was killed in the October 2014 crash on Highway 11 after a night of partying, with Fallows losing control of a truck while behind the wheel.

At the time of the crash, Fallows was unlicensed and uninsured following a previous conviction for impaired driving and had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.

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During his trial, the court heard that Fallows moved Slater's body to make it appear as if she was behind the wheel of the pickup truck after it crashed into the median that night.

As part of his parole conditions set out three years ago, Fallows was not to consume alcohol or drugs or be found in a bar, beer store or LCBO. 

He was also banned from driving for 12 years and barred from contacting Slater's family.

in an interview with CTV News earlier this year, Slater's sister said that she hoped Fallows would remain behind bars following his most recent arrest.

"He's not learning his lesson, and he's not taking it seriously," Melissa Slater said. "It's almost like we told you so."

In granting his full parole, the parole board said the conditions were necessary to support Fallows' continued sobriety and mitigate his risk of reoffending.

Fallows was ordered to perform counselling for substance abuse and was deemed a low risk to reoffend.

As part of Fallows' July 30 plea for his arrest on the Chippewas of the Rama First Nation, charges of possessing 30 grams of dried cannabis in a public place were withdrawn.