The fireworks had just faded, painting the night sky with memories Jade Galve would soon desperately cling to. She held her four children close, a perfect family moment, blissfully unaware it was their last as a complete unit.
Nineteen-year-old Ethan Lehuillier made a choice that night – a reckless, devastating choice. He knew the risks; he’d seen the warnings. Yet, fueled by alcohol and a dangerous speed, he took the wheel anyway, setting in motion a tragedy that would shatter a family beyond recognition.
May 18th, 2025, began like any other evening, but ended in unimaginable horror. Lehuillier, driving at 168 km/h just moments before impact, barreled through a red light and into the side of the family van. The force was catastrophic.
Ramone, 15, Jace, 13, and little Mya, 6, died instantly. Their young lives extinguished in a brutal collision, leaving behind a void that could never be filled. Jade, her 10-year-old son Avery, and her partner Akesh were left injured, grappling with physical wounds and the crushing weight of loss.
The courtroom was filled with grief, a sea of faces wearing shirts bearing the images of the lost siblings. Friends and family gathered, their hearts aching as Lehuillier, now 20, faced the consequences of his actions after pleading guilty to multiple charges.
Jade Galve, her voice trembling with pain, addressed the court. She spoke of Mya, her vibrant daughter, a whirlwind of energy and laughter. She remembered Jace’s kindness, his selfless gestures, and Ramone’s growing maturity and excitement for life’s opportunities.
“We were on our way home when our lives changed forever,” she choked out, the words heavy with sorrow. “It has been so hard to cope…the loss is unbearable.” The image of holding her lifeless daughter, desperately calling for help, was etched into her mind, a torment she knew would never fade.
She wrestled with the unfairness of it all, the agonizing question of why her children, and not her. Her focus now, she explained, was on Avery, the sole surviving child, struggling to navigate a world irrevocably altered by grief.
The details of the crash were stark and chilling. Lehuillier had been traveling at an impossible speed, more than double the legal limit of alcohol in his system. The impact, described by the Crown attorney as akin to a bomb detonating, ripped through the van, instantly claiming three precious lives.
The defense argued Lehuillier was an alcoholic and intellectually disabled, consumed by remorse. He had refused a bail hearing and pleaded guilty immediately, reportedly facing death threats while in virtual segregation. Yet, nothing could diminish the magnitude of his actions.
Throughout the victim impact statements, Lehuillier kept his head bowed, tears streaming down his face. He offered a barely audible apology, vowing to become an advocate against impaired driving, a promise born from the depths of his shame.
But it was Jade Galve’s final words that resonated with a haunting power. “Drinking and driving should stop,” she pleaded through her tears. “No one deserves this, especially my children. They deserved to live.”
Her plea was a desperate cry for change, a stark reminder that every decision carries weight, and that the consequences of recklessness can be devastating and irreversible. The judge’s sentence, expected in the spring, will attempt to deliver justice, but for this family, the pain will endure a lifetime.
