‘My soul is far beyond sorry … I’m still horrified to know that I struck them and I am ashamed,’ said Damon William Wilson
The Calgary driver who ploughed through a young couple and the woman’s infant daughter near a busy shopping centre said Monday he is “horrified” at what he did.
A teary Damon William Wilson told court he is deeply regretful for the collision that took the life of Blade Crow-Pantherbone and badly injured his girlfriend, Aliyah Ramirez-Bernard, and her 13-month-old daughter Ember Sky Ramirez.
“My soul is far beyond sorry,” Wilson said, before being sentenced by Justice Mark Tyndale on charges of dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm as well as leaving the scene of the deadly crash.
“I’m still horrified to know that I struck them and I am ashamed.”
Tyndale accepted a joint submission from Crown prosecutor Ryan Jenkins and defence counsel Mary Stephensen to hand Wilson, 32, a sentence of four years and eight months.
Wilson was also sentenced to an additional four months for unrelated charges of failing to attend court and break and enter, bringing his total sentence to five years.
With pre-sentencing credit, the Calgary man will have about 40 months left to serve.
According to a statement of agreed facts read in by Jenkins when Wilson pleaded guilty last month, Crow-Pantherbone and Ramirez-Bernard were standing on a pedestrian island at the corner of Macleod and Glenmore Trails during the evening of Feb. 18, 2021, when they were struck.
The victims, both 21, were accompanied by Ramirez-Bernard’s infant daughter, whom Crow-Pantherbone was pushing in her stroller.
Wilson was travelling southbound in the right turn lane from Macleod to westbound Glenmore when he failed to make the turn and struck all three, throwing Crow-Pantherbone’s body 41 metres from where he was struck.
The offender was driving at 81 km/h in the 60 km zone just before crashing into the victims.
‘That act was cowardly’: judge
Jenkins said there were several aggravating factors, including that Wilson drove off after the crash, stopping his girlfriend’s borrowed GMC Terrain about 300 metres south before fleeing to a nearby Tim Hortons and calling his girlfriend to come get him.
“The accused … was reckless and made no attempt to determine what happened and who needed help,” he said.
But Stephensen suggested Wilson continued to drive after the collision because he was unaware of what happened.
“Mr. Wilson was in disbelief and shock at the time,” she said.
Tyndale said whatever reason Wilson fled “that act was cowardly.”
“The aggravating circumstances. This young man drove dangerously in a busy area of town.”
The Calgary Court of Justice judge said Wilson’s conduct was hard to comprehend.
“This whole situation, frankly, is tragic beyond words.”