SUDBURY -- A Sudbury drunk driver is facing four years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of impaired driving and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Paul St. Amour showed little emotion Wednesday as he sat in the courtroom for sentencing. His victim's family sat in the gallery behind him.

In a joint submission, the court heard the 51-year-old spent the afternoon of Nov. 18, 2019, drinking and decided to get into a car.

He was travelling down MR80 through Val Caron, at what investigators believe was 104 km/h, when he rear-ended a Kia Rio being driven by 35-year-old Matthew Saroka.

The impact of the collision was so violent that it sent Saroka's vehicle careening into northbound traffic, where his car was struck by a Mercedes SUV. The second crash essentially tore the vehicle into two, ripping the back half of the car away and ejecting Saroka through the rear of the vehicle.

Found 30 feet away

St. Amour was found 30 feet away from the vehicle, unconscious, wearing his seatbelt.

"This is a case that had a foregone conclusion, even before that 911 call was made," said Crown attorney Leonard Kim.

The Crown played two 911 calls for the court, including one from a woman who lived across the street from where the crash took place.

"He's out, he's really hurting, he got thrown out of the car," she said. "The guy's on the ground and he's not breathing."

"There's somebody, like dead on the road," said another 911 caller.

The 35-year-old musician, who had been on his way to work, was rushed to hospital in critical condition where he spent the next several weeks trying to recover from his injuries.

He had a broken neck from shattered vertebrae, a broken upper right arm, a broken left rib, a broken pelvis, severe lacerations and internal injuries.

At the scene, St. Amour showed visible signs of impairment, with police reporting a smell of alcohol and that he had watery eyes. His blood alcohol was later found to be more than double the legal limit.

"This was a game of chance at the cost of humanity and destruction, thrust upon the people of Greater Sudbury," said Kim. "Mr. St. Amour was fully aware by choosing to drive while impaired, the foregone conclusion was a multi-vehicle collision on one of Sudbury's busiest thoroughfares."

St. Amour's lawyer, Jacob Gauthier, asked the court to take into consideration that his client's admission of guilt and plea was saving the Saroka family the pain of having to undergo a trial.

Truly remorseful

Gauthier added his client is truly remorseful for his actions.

"He has had a rough upbringing, his father was an alcoholic, he's on medication for depression and his lungs, he's never had treatment for substance abuse, he's suffered from it for the majority of his life," he said.

The defence said they are hopeful while he's behind bars, St. Amour will avail himself of some of the treatment programs that are available.

In his victim impact statement, Saroka described the collision as the day his old life ended.

"I have pain all day long and it only gets worse as time goes by, my shoulder, arm, neck, back all have pain, sometimes worse, sometimes manageable," it read. "My short-term memory is deteriorating. I forget things. I have a hard time trying to express myself."

Saroka said the crash has caused relationships to end and he has not been able to work due to his physical limitations. He's grateful, though, for the support network that he has around him.

"The thing that really gets me is the thought of my family and friends who suffered around my bed. It will forever be burned into my mind. I realize everyone deserves a second chance but only if they are willing to learn from their mistakes," he added.

In his parents' victim impact statement, they said they now have a tough time watching any of their three adult children getting behind the wheel.

'There is no excuse'

"We're very fortunate to have him with us," wrote Helena and Sam Saroka. "A 2,000-pound vehicle becomes a weapon when someone makes the decision to drink and drive. There is no excuse for drinking and driving period."

In her ruling, Justice Louise Serre accepted the recommendations from both the Crown and the defence and sentenced St. Amour to four years, as well as a 14-year driving ban.

"Our nation's highways are paved in senseless slaughter," Serre said in her ruling. "The message must be clear and unambiguous. The public can be deterred by a substantial sentence for drinking and driving if caught."

St. Amour was immediately taken into custody.

He'll be given credit for 18 days of time served.

Correction:

St. Amour's charge of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, was initially reported as  careless driving causing bodily harm in error. The correction to the more severe charge has been made.