A Brampton truck driver has been sentenced to 18-months in jail for plowing his transport truck into a line of vehicles, killing an Amherstburg mother and son.
Manjit Parmar, 52, had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm in the July 2017 crash.
During a few seconds on inattention, Parmar drove into several vehicles on the 401 in Chatham-Kent, without applying the brakes, striking a pick-up truck carrying the Brundritt family who were heading home after a camping trip.
Lacie Brundritt, 42, and her 14-year-old son Kyle were killed.
Three people in other vehicles were hurt.
Justice Paul Kowalshyn said Parmar turned his vehicle into an 'instrument of death and destruction" and accepted the joint submission by the crown and defence.
Before being sentenced, the judge told Parmar, 'your five seconds of inattention were directly responsible for two deaths and three injuries. You will never get those five seconds back.'
Michael Brunditt lost his wife and son in the crash and following the sentence, he told reporters outside court that he feels sad.
"I'm looking forward to hopefully having some closure now that we have gone through the court case," he says. "But there is difficulty in that closure too because I'm leaving behind two loved ones that were a big part of our family."
Regardless of the sentence, Brundritt says he will have to live with this tragedy for the rest of his life.
During the sentencing hearing in September, Brundritt turned to Parmer and offered his forgiveness.
"I can't imagine the strength and courage it took to offer forgiveness," noted Justice Kowalshyn.
52-year-old truck driver Manjit Singh Parmar leaves Chatham Court, July 4, 2018 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
Court heard Parmar has been traumatized emotionally and psychologically. His family cried in court.
In addition to the jail sentence, Parmar is under a driving ban for 30 months.