A man who was drunk when he struck and killed two cyclists in Winnipeg on Sept. 13, orphaning their infant daughter, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Kuldeep Singh Gill, now 47, was arrested in September after fleeing the scene of a high-speed collision that killed Egor Popov, 31, and his common-law partner, Kerry Bonnor, 25.
Provincial court Associate Chief Judge David Ireland delivered the sentence Tuesday, referring to the incident as “beyond tragedy.”
Gill previously pleaded guilty in February to two counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
Court heard Gill was driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck southbound on Kenaston Boulevard when he drove around slower-moving traffic and onto a paved shoulder near the intersection with Enterprise Drive. He struck the two cyclists just after 9 p.m.
Initial calls to police described the truck as “driving erratically in and out of traffic,” Crown attorney Michael Himmelman told court.
Both Popov and Bonner died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the collision.
According to an agreement statement of facts, Gill was travelling 131 km/h and accelerating at the time of impact, in a zone with an 80 km/h posted limit.
“The offender immediately abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot,” Himmelman told court, which he described as “morally repugnant attempt to hide from responsibility.”
Gill was found on foot and taken into custody shortly before 11 p.m. near Kenaston Boulevard and Scurfield Boulevard.
A breath sample was taken, which a forensic toxicologist estimated put his blood alcohol level at the time of the collision between 0.094 and 0.137 — above the 0.08 threshold for criminal charges.
Surveillance video from earlier that day showed Gill driving to a Liquor Mart on Keewatin Street and buying a bottle of 5-Star whisky. A partially consumed bottle of the same whisky was later found in the truck’s centre console.
‘Pattern of non-compliance’
Court heard that Gill, a permanent resident born in India, has family support and was employed for much of his adult life in Canada. However, Himmelman pointed to his history involving alcohol, driving and a “disregard for licensing restrictions.”
In 2016, Gill drove a Jeep Wrangler at high speed through a residential area, striking a school zone sign, mounting a boulevard and colliding with a tree. He attempted to flee before being followed by civilians until police arrived, Himmelman said.
Court heard his blood alcohol level at the time was estimated to be as high as 0.198. He received a fine and one year of driving probation.
Gill was also convicted of highway traffic act offences in 2020, court heard, including failing to comply with a licence restriction and driving while suspended, receiving another fine and further suspension.
“The prior record shows that ordinary sanctions did not deter this particular offender,” Himmelman said. “The history demonstrates not merely a prior lapse, but in fact a pattern of non-compliance with rules designed to protect the public from unsafe driving.”
Ireland also ordered a lifetime driving prohibition for Gill in Canada, adding “he has not got the message in the past.”
Young daughter orphaned
Reading from a victim impact statement written by Popov’s sister, Maria Mirau, Himmelman said the couple’s then nine-month-old daughter is “most deprived of everyone.”
“She is forever deprived of a personal relationship with the two people she is most alike, and the two people that loved her most,” he said. “Her life course now is extremely unstable.”
Court also heard Gill will be subject to immigration proceedings where he could lose his status and will “most likely” be deported, Ireland said.
The judge accepted the joint sentence recommended by the Crown and defence, made up of 6.5 years for the counts of impaired driving causing death and 18 months for the counts of failing to remain at the scene. Gill will receive credit for 33 days already served.
Gill apologized for what he described as a “terrible and selfish decision” in a letter, originally written in Punjabi, that was read by a translator in court.
“I think about the loss they have suffered and the pain they are forced to live with because of my actions,” the letter read. “I do not expect forgiveness, but I want them to know that I think about them and their families every day.”
Gill also said he wants his case to serve as a warning to others on the dangers of drinking and driving and hopes “that others learn from my mistake.”
“Drinking and driving is not worth the risk. It does not matter if someone thinks they have had only one drink or if they have had many. A single decision can destroy lives and cause unimaginable pain,” he said.
“I made that decision and I have to live with the consequences.”
