A 25-Year-Old Woman Who Helped Ducks On Side Of The Road Faces 25 Years In Prison
The 25-year-old is charged with two counts each of criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.
By Sadho Ram — 22 Jun 2014, 01:16 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
On 27 June 2010, Emma Czornobaj stopped her Honda Civic in the left-hand lane of Highway 30 in Candiac and exited the car in an attempt to rescue a group of ducklings
His 16-year-old daughter Jessie was riding on the back of the motorcycle at the time. Both died as a result of the injuries they suffered in the collision.
Andre Roy, 50, and daughter Jessie, 16, both died in a Montreal highway crash in 2010
Image via imgur.comOn 20 June 2014, Emma, who had decided to take her chances with a jury, was found guilty of causing the deaths of both father and daughter
Emma Czornobaj was convicted by a jury on two counts of criminal negligence causing death, a charge that carries a maximum life sentence, and two counts of dangerous driving causing death, which comes with a maximum of 14 years in jail. The 25-year-old was charged in the deaths of Andre Roy, 50, and his daughter Jessie, 16.
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She wiped away tears when the verdict was delivered to a packed courtroom in Montreal. Quebec Superior Court Justice Eliane Perreault said the 12-member jury voted unanimously. Czornobaj was released until her pre-sentence hearing on Aug. 8.
ap.orgEmma was willing to plead guilty as recently as April but refused to do jail time. She now has a sentencing hearing scheduled for August.
Defence lawyer Marc Labelle said his client was shocked by the verdict. He said the jury decided there was a criminal element to what she did. He said he might file an appeal.
“So now we are at the sentencing stage in this case. The question we have to ask is that considering the nature of the facts, it is rare that we have criminal negligence where there are no bad elements. This was not a race. This was not a person who took a chance and drove drunk. This is not about someone who was speeding and took a risky maneuver,” Labelle told reporters while suggesting his client might only merit a sentence that can be served in the community.
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Emma, a self-professed animal lover, told the court that she did not see the ducklings' mother anywhere and planned to capture them and take them home.
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Pauline Volikakis, whose husband and daughter were killed in the collision, briefly fought back tears when she left the courtroom
Pauline Volikakis (right) has been attending the trial of the woman charged with causing the deaths of her husband and daughter André and Jessie Roy. “It's hard because all the pictures that are in my head are coming back,” she says.
Image via nationalpost.comPauline Volikakis, who lost her husband and daughter in the crash, stressed she had not pushed for charges against Czornobaj and was unable even to say whether she considered it a good thing the trial was held. "It's not me that’s bringing her to court," she said. "I have no expectations concerning this trial. I don't wish misfortune on anyone," Volikakis said. "It's time that we go on. This will not bring (back) my loved ones."
“Future and present drivers should know that we don’t stop on highways, and it’s very dangerous. Even if it’s a small animal that we like or that we want to preserve, we should not stop on the highways,” she said. “It’s not a place to stop.”
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But she hopes the publicity will reinforce a basic message to drivers. She along with prosecutor Annie-Claude Chasse had a message for motorists.
The Harley Davidson motorcycle that André Roy, 50, and his daughter Jessie, 16, were riding when they were involved in a fatal crash in 2010.
Image via scallywagandvagabond.com“Future and present drivers should know that we don’t stop on highways, and it’s very dangerous. Even if it’s a small animal that we like or that we want to preserve, we should not stop on the highways,” she said. “It’s not a place to stop.”
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"What we hope is that a clear message is sent to society that we do not stop on the highway for animals. It's not worth it," said prosecutor Annie-Claude Chasse.
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