Woman sentenced for Parksville crash resulting in husband’s death

Gove, sentenced this week under the Motor Vehicle Act which prohibits prison sentences, was handed a three-year driving prohibition, one-year probation, $2,000 fine and ordered to pay a $300 victim surcharge.

Crown counsel’s Simon Meijers revealed the facts of the case on Wednesday, April 23 in provincial court in Nanaimo, stating a witness saw the 2007 silver Hyundai Sonata roll beside the exit ramp.

Emergency responders arrived on scene to find an unresponsive man and a hysterical accused screaming and crying.

“She indicated that there was a child in the vehicle, that ultimately turned out not to be the case, but it did create a frantic search for potentially a missing child. The child was ultimately found with her grandparents and was totally fine.”

Several people assisted in removing the driver from the car.

Her seatbelt was cut to remove her from the car as Meijers told court the woman remained frantic about where her daughter was.

The accused was not a licensed driver at the time.

A driving prohibition against the woman had expired a day prior, however Meijers said she did not have her driver’s license at the time of the fatal wreck.

She was flown to hospital in Victoria to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

An extensive police investigation ensued, with hospital blood records of the driver obtained by police, showing there was no indication Gove was legally impaired.

“The blood samples were sent to a toxicologist, they were found to contain fentanyl and methadone, however it is not possible to determine with any precision when those were taken or what impact they would have had on Ms. Gove at the time of the collision,” Meijers told the sentencing hearing.

Gove reported she consumed narcotics 12 hours before the crash.

The Crown pushed for a five-year driving ban, in part because of Gove’s history of being a prohibited driver, including a pair of post-offence incidents.

“That underpins the Crown’s position that a longer driving prohibition is appropriate in this case, both as denunciation and deterrence, but more importantly protection of the public.”

An RCMP reconstructionist report estimated Gove was driving between 110 to 117 kilometers an hour at the time of the crash and control of the vehicle was likely lost after hitting the sign.

On the off-ramp the car went into the air for 30 meters, then tumbled more than 80 further meters as it rolled and landed on its roof.

No mechanical defects were found upon inspection, while there was no evidence Gove steered, or braked prior to hitting the sign at the top of the off-ramp.

Defence attorney Donald McKay provided context regarding what led up to the crash.

“She has described that they were arguing in the vehicle and its clear that that argument was a distraction, hence the nature of the accident and events.”

McKay said her client elected not to re-apply for her license when cleared to do so early in 2023 and is now over five months sober while enrolled in a residential treatment program in Surrey.

McKay outlined his client’s rehabilitative efforts and desire to be a licensed driver sooner to assist with employment in successfully arguing for a three-year driving ban.

The case was extensively delayed, in part due to Gove missing several court appearances.

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by Ian Holmes

Woman sentenced for Parksville crash resulting in husband’s death

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