A Georgetown, Ont., man has pleaded guilty in connection with a drunk driving crash that killed three siblings and injured three others in Etobicoke earlier this year.
Ethan Lehouillier, now 20, entered the guilty plea Monday in a Toronto courtroom. He is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
According to an agreed statement of facts, the crash occurred in the early hours of May 18 as Akash Paladugu was driving a van with five passengers. Lehouillier, who was 19 at the time, was exiting Highway 401 at Renforth Drive when he drove through a red light at nearly 170 km/h, struck a traffic median, and became airborne.
Lehouillier’s van collided with Paladugu’s stationary vehicle on the driver’s side with extreme force, rolling it onto its roof, the court heard.
Two of the children inside the van were killed instantly, while another suffered catastrophic injuries and later died in hospital. The victims were siblings Maya Lavina, 6, Jace Lavina, 13, and Romone Lavina, 15.
A fourth child, Avery Lavina, 10, was hospitalized for five days with a fractured collarbone and other injuries. Their mother, Jade Galve, 35, was also hospitalized for five days with multiple injuries. Paladugu, 30, sustained spinal fractures and other injuries.
Blood testing showed Lehouillier’s blood alcohol concentration was 185 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, more than twice the legal limit.
Lehouillier was charged with multiple counts of impaired driving and dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm. He did not apply for bail and has remained in custody in Toronto pending sentencing.