A Sarnia man faced the consequences for a reckless act that could have been catastrophic. Nathan Speed was sentenced to 30 days in jail after driving under the influence and crashing into a minivan carrying a mother and five young children.
The incident unfolded on a March afternoon as Speed drove a borrowed vehicle westward on Devine Street. A witness observed him falling asleep at a stop sign, a chilling prelude to the danger that followed.
Speed briefly regained consciousness, proceeding through an intersection before succumbing to drowsiness again. This time, waking up meant accelerating through a red light and colliding with the parked minivan.
The impact was forceful enough to propel the minivan into another vehicle, a blue Suzuki occupied by a woman. Miraculously, despite the severity of the crash, no one sustained injuries.
Justice Mark Poland delivered a stern rebuke, expressing disbelief that Speed would operate a vehicle while impaired. He emphasized the sheer luck that prevented far more serious repercussions, stating Speed was fortunate to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.
Police found Speed slumped over the wheel, initially denying any substance use. However, his slurred speech, delayed reactions, and constricted pupils told a different story, leading to his arrest for impaired driving.
Further investigation revealed the vehicle wasn’t his own and had been taken without the owner’s consent. Speed, 27, ultimately pleaded guilty to both impaired driving and vehicle theft.
A prior impaired driving conviction from 2021 triggered an increased penalty, mandating a minimum jail sentence. Both the prosecution and defense surprisingly agreed on the 30-day term, a point the judge acknowledged with gravity.
Speed’s lawyer highlighted his client’s struggle with drug addiction, framing the incident as a harsh wake-up call. However, the judge remained firm, noting Speed hadn’t learned from his previous offense.
The judge starkly contrasted Speed’s case with a recent tragedy in the Toronto area, where an impaired driver received a 17-year sentence for causing the deaths of a mother and her three daughters. He emphasized that Speed’s outcome was solely due to good fortune.
Beyond the jail time, Speed was ordered to pay nearly $20,000 in restitution to the vehicle owner’s insurance company and will be subject to two years of probation. The sentence serves as a chilling reminder of the potential consequences of impaired driving.
The judge’s words resonated with a somber weight: a single moment of reckless disregard, and a life could have been irrevocably altered, leaving devastation in its wake. It was luck, and nothing more, that prevented a far greater tragedy.
