A driver who used her car as a “weapon” to kill a motorist on Highway 15 before fleeing was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday. Alexandra Gagné-Faucher was already calling garages six minutes after her crime to try to hide the damage to her vehicle.
“She acted with contempt, even though she had hit someone head-on with her vehicle. She has disguised her vehicle in many ways. She shamelessly evaded her responsibilities,” concluded Superior Court Judge Eric Downs on Wednesday at the Laval courthouse.
Alexandra Gagné-Faucher, a 31-year-old Montrealer, was found guilty by a jury last June of involuntary manslaughter and hit-and-run causing the death of Stéphane Taillon on September 15, 2022. The Crown was asking for seven years and a half in penitentiary, while the defense asked for two years of home confinement.
At the wheel of her mother’s car, Alexandra Gagné-Faucher began to exchange dangerous overtaking with the victim on Highway 40, then on Highway 15, in Montreal.
Once at the Souvenir viaduct, in Laval, Alexandra Gagné-Faucher and Stéphane Taillon stopped their vehicle on the service road of Highway 15. Stéphane Taillon got out of his vehicle for an unknown reason. Alexandra Gagné-Faucher then hit him head-on.
“She used her vehicle as a weapon. His maneuver constituted objectively dangerous conduct,” concluded Judge Downs.
Witnesses at the scene saw the body of the deceased “fly” back into the air and the accused flee at high speed on the highway. Alexandra Gagné-Faucher quickly called garages specializing in windshield repairs. She also increased research on the collision on the Internet. She was arrested five days later.
Alexandra Gagné-Faucher did not testify during the trial. The jury, however, rejected his defense of accident or self-defense.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM STÉPHANE TAILLON’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Stéphane Taillon
A grieving family
Judge Downs took the time to highlight the “dignity and resilience” of the members of the Taillon family who read extremely poignant letters during sentencing submissions, despite their “immeasurable sadness”.
Alexandra Gagné-Faucher does not deserve, according to the judge, a sentence as severe as that suggested by the Crown due to the mitigating factors: her sincere remorse, her low danger to the public, her clean driving record and her respect for her very strict release conditions.
Also, the judge considered the very difficult past of the accused. According to the judge, Alexandra Gagné-Faucher may have “wrongly felt a threat” when the victim advanced towards her. The judge specifies, however, that the offender “seriously lacked judgment” by charging at him.
As aggravating factors, the judge considers the consequences for the victims, his attempt to hide his crime and the seriousness of the offenses. Taking all these factors into account, the judge decided for a sentence of five years in detention.
Alexandra Gagné-Faucher will not be able to get behind the wheel for six years from today.
Me Caroline Buist and Marie-Philippe Guimond-Méthé represented the Crown, while Me Roxane Hamelin and Me Rose-Marie Picard defended the offender.