A mother's anguished plea echoed in court as she spoke about the devastating loss of her three children, killed by a speeding, impaired teenage driver. Jade Galve shared the unbearable pain of losing Ramone, Jace, and Maya in a May 18 crash.
"Because of one selfish decision, three of my children are no longer here. They were so young," Galve stated, recalling the horrific details of holding her lifeless daughter.
The family was returning from Victoria Day fireworks when the tragedy struck. The teenage driver, Ethan Lehouillier, was traveling at 168 km/h moments before slamming into the family's van stopped at a red light. Lehouillier, whose blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit, admitted to three counts of impaired driving causing death and three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm.
Galve and the children's stepfather, Akash Paladugu, survived the crash but sustained serious injuries. Paladugu expressed profound guilt, recounting the moment he was driving and obeying traffic laws when the collision occurred.
Lehouillier, now 20, appeared remorseful, apologizing to the family and expressing shame for his actions. Sentencing arguments are underway, with prosecutors seeking a sentence in the upper end of an eight- to 10-year range, while the defense suggested six to eight years, citing Lehouillier's remorse and youth.
A date for sentencing has not yet been set.