At a court appearance this afternoon, December 10, 2024, 26-year-old Nicholas Villeneuve of Gander will be sentenced in relation to charges laid as part of a 2019 fatal collision investigation that occurred on the Trans-Canada Highway near Gander. The collision claimed the lives of two individuals and left two others with serious life-altering injuries.
At approximately 4:00 a.m. on July 7, 2019, Gander RCMP were called to the scene of the two-vehicle collision that happened on the TCH, west of Gander. Villeneuve was the driver and lone occupant of a truck that crossed over the centre line and struck an oncoming SUV, that was carrying four occupants, head-on. Two occupants of the SUV died at the scene and two others were transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Blood samples collected at the hospital following the collision showed that Villeneuve, who was then 20-years-old, had a blood alcohol concentration that was nearly twice the legal limit.
Charges were originally dismissed by the Provincial Court in Gander on February 1, 2021.
In consultation with the RCMP, an appeal was filed by the Provincial Crown Attorney's Office on February 24, 2021. The matter was first heard in the Provincial Court of Appeal on May 12, 2022. On May 23, 2023, the Provincial Court of Appeal rendered its decision and referred the case back to Provincial Court for a trial.
On November 12, 2024, as part of a plea agreement that took place over multiple court appearances, Villeneuve pled guilty to two counts of impaired operation causing death and two counts of impaired operation causing bodily harm. Charges of dangerous operation causing death and dangerous operation causing bodily harm were withdrawn.
RCMP NL is pleased with the outcome of this investigation and hopes that the conviction rendered will bring some peace to the surviving victims and their family and friends, as well as the family and friends of the two victims who were tragically taken during this collision.
Background:
https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2019/two-vehicle-head-collision-gander-results-two-fatalities