JOLIETTE | The mother of one of the two 16-year-old teenagers who lost their lives due to a driver without a valid license, who caused an accident while fleeing the police, is outraged by the five and a half year penitentiary sentence which the accused has just been bailed.
“Aberrant, crazy,” cursed Lucie Nadeau, mother of the deceased Félix Desrosiers-Nadeau, on Friday morning as she left the courtroom, in reference to the sentence just pronounced.
“My dear young drivers. With or without a license. Kill two people! Demolish families! Five and a half years in prison… you’ll get out in a year and a half. Bravo, Quebec,” she continued, overcome with emotion, at the Joliette courthouse.
Lucie Nadeau, mother of one of the two 16-year-olds who died.
JONATHAN TREMBLAY/LE JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL
A few minutes earlier, Ludovic Clavette had just set off towards the penitentiary, with his personal effects.
Last February, the 20-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving causing death and harm, as well as fleeing police.
Ludovic Clavette a few minutes before receiving his sentence, Friday morning, at the Joliette courthouse.
Photo Jonathan Tremblay
However, in the eyes of the bereaved mother, this reprimand does not reflect the pain caused to her by the loss of her son on June 28, 2022.
Great excess
That evening, Clavette’s irresponsible conduct cost the lives of two 16-year-old teenagers, on Chemin de Sainte-Béatrix, in Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, in Lanaudière.
Clavette was then traveling in a blue Subaru WRX equipped with a falsified plate, which read “TABARNAK”.
Courtesy | DPCP of Laval
However, his driving license had been revoked a few months earlier, due to excessive speeding. In particular, he was caught driving at 155 km/h.
Courtesy | DPCP of Laval
When he was intercepted by vigilant patrol officers before the tragedy, the driver accelerated up to 115 km/h, and hit Félix Desrosiers-Nadeau and his motorcycle head-on.
The one who had obtained his license the same day died instantly.
Félix Desrosiers-Nadeau, victim.
Photo taken from the site centrefunerairejoliette.com
One of the passengers in the car, whose identity is protected by a court order, also died. The other suffered injuries.
Courtesy | DPCP of Laval
Appropriate punishment
“Only the human factor was involved in this avoidable fatal collision,” underlined Judge François Landry. In addition, impulsivity and lack of judgment appear to have contributed to the act.”
“We believe that it would be important for Monsieur to continue to deepen his reflections on his delinquent values,” he said.
Clavette’s blue Subaru WRX car, after the violent collision.
Photo Erik Peters / QMI Agency
For its part, the prosecution had requested a sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.
“Relatives will find that the sentence is perhaps too lenient. For my client’s family, we will find it harsh. But whether it is appropriate? Yes. There are no grounds for appeal in this case,” clarified Clavette’s lawyer, Mr.e Michel Leclerc, who had instead suggested two to three years in prison.
Courtesy | DPCP of Laval
Track in his name
All this, however, has little importance for Felix’s father.
“The sentence, the rest of us live it. The loss of my son is immeasurable, how painful it is,” said Claude Desrosiers. Whether he’s a few months old, or a few years old, it bothers me a little.”
Upon his release from prison, the young driver, who no longer plans to drive, will have to respect a four and a half year driving ban. He had no prior record.
Furthermore, Félix’s parents say they are pursuing steps to have a ski slope at the Val Saint-Côme resort named after him.