(DIR) Home
Daughter of woman killed in Gardiner crash: 'I don't understand the
recklessness of it'
(HTM) Source
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Norma Buendia's daughter never thought her mother would die at the age
of 58, until October 3, 2021, when she got a call from her younger
brother saying that their mom had been killed. In a victim impact
statement read out in Superior Court Tuesday at the sentencing hearing
for Kalyan Trivedi, Natalia Gonzales said that was the worst day of
her life.
"I didn't and still don't understand why this had to happen. I don't
understand the recklessness of it all or why my mom had to be the one
to pass away like she did. She was a really good person to everyone.
Caring, loving and always others above herself," Gonzales said through
tears.
Trivedi, a 33-year-old Toronto man pleaded guilty to dangerous driving
causing Buendia's death, and dangerous driving causing bodily harm to
Buendia's husband in March.
According to an agreed statement of facts, it was 1:30 am on October
3, 2021, when Buendia and her husband Roberto Navarro Vega, who lived
in Mississauga, were heading to downtown Toronto. They were going to
pick up their son from his friend's house when an Audi R8 travelling
at high speed, rear-ended their vehicle in the eastbound lanes of the
Gardiner Expressway near Islington Ave.
Story continues below advertisement
The back of their car was crushed. The impact caused the Nissan to
accelerate forward and both vehicles began to spin out. As they
rotated and continued travelling eastbound along the Gardiner, the two
vehicles came back together and collided for a second time. Police
were not able to determine the speed of the Audi at the initial point
of impact but were able to determine that the speed of the Audi
following the second impact was 122 km/hr.
The Buendia's vehicle was thrust outward and collided with the
concrete barrier separating eastbound and westbound lanes before
ultimately rolling onto its roof. Buendia was extricated from the
vehicle and rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Vega
was also rushed to hospital where he spent two months recovering from
a fracture to his pelvis and injuries to his back and knees.
According to the facts, following the collision, Trivedi and his
passenger were able to exit their vehicle. After about 12-15 minutes
at the scene, Trivedi left the scene and at no time, did he identify
himself as the driver of the Audi to any police officers or emergency
personnel. He turned himself in to police on October 21, 2021, 18 days
after the collision.
Buendia's son Roberto Carlos Navarro said in his victim impact
statement that his mother was hard-working, inspiring, loving and
kind, saying "there are not enough words to describe the pain and loss
I have felt."
Story continues below advertisement
Vega, who now walks with a cane, said he feels empty and lonely since
Buendia's death.
Assistant Crown attorney Michael Wilson called Trivedi's manner of
driving particularly egregious. "At one point, he was estimated by
various witnesses to be travelling at 150 to 200 km/hr." Wilson said
that Trivedi was driving in a highly aggressive manner, flashing his
high beams at other drivers and weaving in and out of traffic on two
major highways in our city, in the rain. "He drove his vehicle at high
speeds for some distance across two highways," said Wilson who played
a video compilation taken from Ministry of Transport highway cameras
showing the white Audi R8 speeding down the road.
Wilson, who is asking for a sentencing of five to five-and-a-half
years for the count of dangerous driving causing death to be served
concurrently with a three year sentence for dangerous driving causing
bodily harm along with a ten year driving prohibition, said Trivedi's
"atrocious" driving record is an aggravating factor. The 33-year-old
had 11 driving convictions for speeding prior to the deadly collision.
"This collision was inevitable. It was simply a matter of time and a
matter of when," said Wilson. "For over a decade, he has operated a
vehicle with blantant disregard of the rules and the safety of
others."
Defence lawyer Ravin Pillay suggested an appropriate sentence would be
three years in prison and a five-year driving ban pointing out his
client has already been prohibited from driving for two-and-a-half
years since being released on bail.
Story continues below advertisement
Madam Justice Anne Molloy is expected deliver her sentence in July.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
______________________________________________________________________
Served by Flask-Gopher/2.2.1