A day-long sentencing hearing for a Prince George man who was behind the wheel during an alcohol-fueled rollover that claimed the life of his best friend ended on an emotional note Thursday with the victim's mother making a plea for leniency.
Tyler Ian Curtis is facing anywhere from two years house arrest followed by three years probation to as much as two years in jail followed by two years probation as Crown and defence counsels presented differing positions during the hearing at the courthouse.
James Lindsay was killed on the the evening of Jan. 14, 2021, when Curtis lost control of his pickup truck as he entered a curve while heading north on Foothills Boulevard. Moments before, the truck was seen passing on a double-solid line at a high speed despite the road's slippery winter condition.
A short distance from Chief Lake Road, the truck slammed into a power pole on the passenger side before coming to rest on its roof. Downed powerlines complicated the rescue effort but Curtis was able to make it up to the roadside. Lindsay, who was 29 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene due to multiple blunt force trauma.
Bottles and cans of alcohol, empty and full, were found strewn about the scene and blood samples collected from Curtis at the hospital showed levels of .167 and .179.
An RCMP officer who arrived on the crash scene recognized Curtis from a few weeks before when he was issued a 90-day roadside suspension following a rollover of an all-terrain vehicle that also involved alcohol.
And earlier on the day of the fatal crash, RCMP had received a report of the pickup being driven erratically along Foothills, weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed.
Curtis and Lindsay were life-long friends who grew up together in New Brunswick. In pursuit of job prospects, Curtis eventually found himself in Prince George where he had lived for eight years and where he and his common-law spouse are the parents of two boys.
Curtis has had a history of substance abuse. He had stopped drinking heavily once he met his spouse but that changed when Lindsay moved to Prince George and began living with the family a few weeks before the fatality.
In arguing for jail time, Crown prosecution emphasized general denunciation and deterrence and listed the high levels of alcohol in his system among the aggravating factors despite Curtis pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death
Defence counsel Jason LeBlond, in contrast, said Curtis has not touched a drop of alcohol since that day and continues to experience regret for his actions, manifested in anxiety, depression, nightmares and flashbacks.
Given a chance to speak, Curtis said Lindsay was "more than a friend, he was like a brother," as he issued an emphatic apology to Lindsay's family and went on to say he will accept any punishment he is given.
"I feel less than a human, I have a hard time even looking at myself anymore, I don't like leaving my house, I can't even think about driving ever again, I don't even want to be near a vehicle let alone drive one," Curtis said, his voice shaking.
Following final comments from Crown, Lindsay's mother, Donna Pike, who had been taking the proceeding in from her home in New Brunswick via videoconferencing, asked if she could address the court.
She went on to urge house arrest and put some of the blame on her son for getting into the truck with Curtis.
"I don't think James would want him in jail. I don't think it would serve him any good to tear his family apart," Pike said in part and described Curtis as a "good man" who did not commit the act deliberately.
Both Crown and defence counsels agreed on a five-year driving prohibition. Provincial Court Judge Peter McDermick reserved his decision.
