I'm not sure if this is the right place to bring this up, but I've been following the story since 2012 when it first happened. As with most of these stories, media is all over the story when the news first breaks and people talk about it for days and weeks after, but between the date of the incident and the date of the trial & verdict, many people forget about it so I thought I'd post an update.
This section of Mount Pleasant is fairly narrow with sweeping turns. Driving under the influence at the speeds he was did not leave much room for error. A tragic chain of events indeed. One life lost. Two lives ruined.
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/05/21/motorist-guilty-in-drunken-crash-that-killed-pal#map_canvas
Motorist guilty in drunken crash that killed pal
BY SAM PAZZANO
TORONTO - A motorist who killed his passenger pal when his speeding Land Rover collided with a street pole was found guilty Wednesday of impaired driving and criminal negligence.
Oliver Karafa, 21, lost his buddy and trainer David Chiang when he lost control of his vehicle on Mount Pleasant Rd., near Stibbard Ave., shearing it in half on April 3, 2012.
Although he was wearing a seatbelt, Chiang’s body was propelled from the vehicle — which was hurtling at least double the 50 km/h speed limit at impact, Justice Gary Trotter said in his judgment.
The Extreme Fitness trainer, 24, who suffered massive head injuries, died instantly, added Trotter. Karafa walked away unscathed.
Some Toronto Police officers breached Karafa’s rights to counsel by not informing him that he was facing impaired driving causing death charges, the judge said.
This serious, intentional breach was perpetrated by four officers over an extended period of time, said Trotter, who noted that while Karafa was being booked, the officers “pretended that Chiang was still alive.”
The breach led to the elimination of the first breathalyzer sample, but the second sample was salvaged by the “commendable actions” of Det.-Const. Carl Andersen, said Trotter.
Andersen rectified the problem by advising Karafa of his “true jeopardy and encouraging him to exercise his rights to counsel,” said Trotter.
Andersen had warned Karafa he would be charged with impaired driving causing death and might be going to jail.
Karafa did obtain legal advice and complied with the second breath sample. Andersen’s actions “severed the link between the earlier breach” and the collection of the second, Charter-compliant sample, ruled Trotter.
Karafa was found guilty of impaired driving, dangerous driving and criminal negligence causing death as well as other related charges.
It’s estimated that Karafa consumed between 200 mg and 270 mg of alcohol before driving. Trotter will decide Monday whether to revoke Karafa’s bail and set his sentencing date.