A young driver who killed a septuagenarian by driving drunk in a luxury Range Rover after spending the day in a bar has finally admitted his wrongs. In “panic”, Andrew Marchand fled when he noticed the death of his victim.
The 26-year-old man pleaded guilty last week at the Laval courthouse to one count of hit-and-run causing death. The charge of driving while impaired, however, fell through, even though Andrew Marchand had a blood alcohol level of 0.116, therefore higher than the legal maximum level of 0.08.
The victim in this sad case is André Grant, a 75-year-old man, who had the misfortune of crossing paths with the driver on October 2, 2022, in Laval. That day, Andrew Marchand had spent part of the day drinking in a trendy pub in Blainville.
After leaving the establishment with a friend at the wheel of a luxury white Range Rover, witnesses observed Marchand driving quickly on Lisbon Boulevard, an industrial sector of the city where the street is not paved.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE DESROSIERS & FILS SITE
André Grant, 75, died in a fatal hit-and-run in 2022 in Laval
According to the admitted facts, André Grant was driving a Honda Civic and traveling northbound on this boulevard. When he turned left into a parking lot, Marchand’s Range Rover hit him head-on, causing him to roll over. The 75-year-old man died instantly.
Andrew Marchand went to the wreck of the Honda Civic after the collision. But when a witness informed him that the driver was dead, the driver panicked and left. About an hour and a half later, however, he surrendered to the police. He mentioned being “stricken with panic.”
“Since day one, Mr. Marchand has wanted me to apologize to the family of the deceased. He is immensely repentant,” defense lawyer M told the judge.e Jean Daniel Debkoski, on January 25.
Judge Michel Bellehumour ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report in order to determine the appropriate sentence. The case will therefore return next May to the Laval courthouse.
Me Marie-Philippe Guimond Méthé represents the public prosecutor.