SOREL TRACY | A young man accused of drunkenly causing an accident that killed a scooter rider on the evening of his 23rd birthday was found guilty on all counts on Thursday, to the great relief of his relatives.
“The defendant drove a vehicle with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit and caused an accident [auquel il a contribué par sa conduite]and that accident resulted in the death of Mr. Yannick Potvin,” Judge Marc Bisson ruled Thursday at the Sorel-Tracy courthouse, declaring Jeremy Durocher guilty.
The 26-year-old was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and a level of more than 80 mg/100 ml resulting in death.
The drama took place on the evening of his 23rd birthday, August 27, 2020.
At 11:11 p.m., the resident of Yamaska in Montérégie returned home after having a few drinks after his day at work.
While Durocher was traveling at 57 mph in his red Toyota Camry on Route 132 near Saint-Robert, he hit Yannick Potvin on his scooter from behind.
They were in a zone where the maximum speed limit is 90 km/h.
Yannick Potvin, victim. Facebook photo
Unfortunately, the 43-year-old died within a few minutes.
“It is too late”
Durocher then made a series of incriminating statements while drunk and said he had never seen the moped.
However, the rear light of the machine was demonstrated to be functional and clearly visible.
“I shouldn’t have driven, but I drove. It’s too late, there’s nothing I can do about it and there’s nothing I can do about it. “Everything that will happen to me is my fault,” said Durocher, whose blood alcohol content was at least 130 mg/100 ml at the time of the collision.
According to toxicologist and chemist Geneviève Huppé, this is an amount equivalent to just over five drinks.
Clearly
In addition, Judge Bisson placed great emphasis on videos of the scene obtained from surveillance cameras in the area.
“There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Viewing the videos presented as evidence clearly supports this saying,” he said.
For its part, the public prosecutor was satisfied with the decision.
“The judge analyzed all the witness statements and all the legal issues. I don’t see any errors. It’s very clear. I am very satisfied with the final decision,” commented prosecutor Maude Champigny.
Long waiting
Furthermore, this conviction was a great relief for the victim’s family.
“It’s like an early Christmas present. It makes us feel like justice is being served,” confided his sister Annie Potvin, 51, who has been waiting for this verdict for more than three years.
“We wanted the court to recognize that my brother was the victim. He can go in peace,” continued the woman, who also showed a lot of compassion for the defendant and his relatives.
“He’s not a bad boy after all. He will have it on his conscience for the rest of his life. And what’s more, on his birthday…” Ms. Potvin concluded.
Jeremy Durocher’s case must be heard again in court next February so that he can comment on the verdict.