A motorist who killed a 68-year-old driver by running a red light at breakneck speed in a 50 km/h zone has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. After the collision, Berwide Charles fled without a valid driver’s license.
Posted at 6:25 p.m
The 28-year-old Montreal native earlier this month pleaded guilty to dangerous driving resulting in death and failing to stop after a fatal crash. This tragedy that took the life of Ginette Maille Roux had slipped under the media radar in 2020.
PHOTO PUBLISHED ON THE MAGNUS POIRIER WEBSITE
The victim, Ginette Maille Roux
The day after Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, June 2020, around 5 a.m., Berwide Charles travels between 112 and 122 km/h on Metropolitan Boulevard East, a street limited to 50 km/h that gives access to the street of the same name Freeway features names in Montréal. Two other passengers are on board his Lexus ES 350.
At the same time, Ginette Maille Roux is driving a Jeep Cherokee northbound on Boulevard Provencher at 40 km/h and arrives at Boulevard Métropolitain. This crossing is on the border of the Saint-Michel and Saint-Léonard sectors.
At that moment, Berwide Charles ran a red light and collided head-on with the victim’s vehicle. The driver and one of his passengers fled while the third mate remained injured at the scene. Berwide Charles’ blood was found on the airbag, leading to his arrest in May 2021. Note that he did not have a valid driver’s license that day.
Ginette Maille Roux died six months later after suffering a large number of fractures and trauma.
“I’ll put a bullet in your head”
Berwide Charles, who was released pending trial, quickly violated his terms of release. Despite being banned from doing so, he was caught driving another Lexus in August 2021. His vehicle was meandering along Highway 15 at the time.
The driver had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.
Berwide Charles made it difficult for police to resist arrest. It took four officers to get him into the police vehicle. “If I weren’t tied up, I would put a bullet in your head,” he told one of the officers.
The maniac even spat in the officer’s face, forcing officers to put a spit mask on him. Still aggressive in the hospital, Berwide Charles managed to remove his mask and hit a police officer in the back with his saliva.
Berwide Charles will be banned from driving for five years, in addition to four years and four months in prison, from which the amount of preventive detention served will be deducted.
Me Anik Archambault represented the crown while Me Dominic Côté defended the accused.