Ramandeep Singh Jaswal is likely facing a federal prison term after pleading guilty Monday to four charges, including dangerous driving causing death.
CALGARY – Minutes after running a red light and sending a woman flying to her death, an Indo-Canadian driver from asked police if his car was “OK.”
Ramandeep Singh Jaswal is likely facing a federal prison term after pleading guilty Monday to four charges, including dangerous driving causing death, reported QMI Agency.
Jaswal, 29, also admitted to charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm and refusing to provide breath samples where bodily harm and death occurred.
Crown attorney Jonathan Hak, reading from a statement of agreed facts, said Jaswal was travelling at least twice the posted speed limit in his Mercedes sedan when he ran a red light at Bow Trail and Sarcee Trail S.W.
Hak said Jaswal was westbound on Bow Trail at about 3:15 a.m. Aug. 12, 2012, when he sideswiped a northbound Ford pickup being driven by Sean Mahoney.
The crash threw both Mahoney and his wife, Kelli-Jo Smith, 38, from the cab of his truck, he said.
“Smith suffered major head injuries and died at the scene,” Hak told Justice Kristine Eidsvik.
Mahoney was also badly hurt, suffering a head injury, broken teeth, dislocated discs in his neck, broken vertebrae in his back and soft tissue damage to his hands, elbows, knees and feet, court heard.
“The Mercedes was calculated to be travelling between 123 km/h and 145 km/h at the time of impact,” Hak said, noting the speed limit on Bow Trail at that intersection is 60 km/h.
Once police arrived Jaswal was escorted to a cruiser asking, “is my car going to be OK?” while being moved, the Crown said.
Jaswal was initially charged with impaired driving causing death, but Hak said the Crown wasn’t alleging his ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired by alcohol.
Outside court, Mahoney expressed disappointment Jaswal was allowed to plead guilty to a reduced charge.
“I’m happy with the guilty plea on the count he’s agreed to,” Mahoney said.
“I’m extremely disappointed and the system has failed the people — it’s a travesty, really, because he’s being let off impaired driving causing the death of my wife.”
Following court, Der said his client was stunned when he inquired about the state of his car,
“He made a number of comments that didn’t make sense,” he said.
Sentencing submissions were made Friday and sentencing will be announced at a further date.
