House arrest for Edmonton man who killed passenger in dangerous driving crash
Time behind bars isn't necessary for an Edmonton motorist whose reckless driving caused a fatal crash four years ago, an Edmonton judge has ruled.
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Court of King's Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn on Thursday sentenced Yasin Artar for dangerous driving causing death, handing him a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community.
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The sentence comes months after Artar pleaded guilty for the 2021 crash that killed his friend Arshdeep Bedi, 20.
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The Crown asked for a three-year prison term, but Michalyshyn said the community sentence would suitably denounce Artar's actions and deter others from dangerous driving. He also imposed a five-year criminal driving prohibition.
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According to an agreed statement of facts, Artar slammed his Mercedes into a lamppost on Rabbit Hill Road just before 3 a.m. on July 24, 2021. Three passengers were inside the car, which was travelling a minimum of 111 km/h in a 60 km/h zone when Artar lost control while cornering. The impact sheared off the back third of the vehicle, spraying debris including the driveshaft and battery across four lanes of traffic and into the fences of nearby homes.
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'The collision caused the light standard to bend nearly in half and was almost pulled out of the ground completely, notwithstanding its six-foot concrete base,' Michalyshyn said.
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Bedi was thrown 30 metres and died at the scene. Artar, 24, and the other passengers were 'relatively unscathed.' He remained at the scene tried to help his mortally wounded friend.
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While the police investigation determined Artar was speeding at the time of the crash and had alcohol in his system, it came up short on specifics. The best investigators could say was that the Mercedes was travelling at least 111 km/h on the roadway and 96 km/h when it struck the lamppost. They also determined Artar's blood alcohol level was 'in excess of the legal limit,' though neither the exact legal limit nor the amount of alcohol in his system were before the court.
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Artar pleaded guilty to the single count last October. His lawyer, Graham Rapson, sought a conditional sentence, while Crown prosecutor Meghan Rohatyn asked for three years in prison.
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Michalyshyn credited Artar for his guilty plea and the 'genuine shame and remorse' he feels for the crime. The guilty plea came despite potentially triable issues, including the admissibility of a blood sample, Michalyshyn said.
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