The family of an Edmonton teen killed by a St. Albert drunk driver says life has been a “train wreck” since their daughter’s death.
On Monday morning, Shane Stevenson, a St. Albert man, pleaded guilty to impaired driving that killed 16-year-old Chloe Wiwchar in 2018 while she was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk.
Chloe’s mom, Holly Lucier, wept throughout the court proceedings while hearing the details of her daughter’s death and Stevenson’s guilty plea.
“I think today was probably one of the most excruciating days,” Lucier said, surrounded by around 30 supporters, wearing masks reading ‘Justice for Chloe.’
“We’re relieved that we don’t have to go through trial and that we don’t have to watch him fight these charges, but in no way is this remorse.”
During a break in the court proceedings, Stevenson mouthed an apology to Chloe’s parents from across the room but for Chloe’s loved ones the apology came too late.
“It’s two and a half years too late. Our family has suffered. We have suffered and we’ve watched the defendant take his time through these matters and it’s not right. It’s not fair,” Lucier said.
Chloe’s father, Michael Wiwchar, shared the same sentiment and said this was the first time the family saw Stevenson, as he did not appear at previous court proceedings.
“Sorry would have been a week after, two weeks after, three weeks after, a month after, not two and a half years. That timeframe doesn’t say ‘I’m sorry’ to me,” Michael Wiwchar, said.
On April 15, 2018, Chloe was walking home from her boyfriend's house when she was fatally struck and killed.
At 10:52 p.m., Chloe got off the bus and was using the crosswalk at Kingsway and Tower road. An off-duty police officer and two other vehicles stopped to let her cross in the marked crosswalk, but as she did so she was struck by Stevenson driving his 2017 black Ford F-150 pickup truck, who was travelling between 69 and 83 km per hour in the 60 km per hour zone.
The court heard through an agreed statement of facts that Stevenson did not slow down at the crosswalk and the force of the collision sent Chloe through the air. She landed on the centre median and slid approximately 26 meters.
EMS responded to the scene and Chloe was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead at 11:40 p.m. from blunt force trauma.
After hitting the teen, Stevenson continued to travel eastbound, with pieces of metal from his vehicle that were dislodged from the hit-and-run dragging along with his truck, causing sparks to fly. The impaired driver fled at an estimated speed of between 80 and 90 km per hour with the off-duty police officer following behind.
Stevenson’s pickup truck sustained extensive damage during the hit and run, including damage to the driver's side quarter panel in various places and damage to the front driver’s side fog and headlights. Pieces of the front quarter panel and headlights were dislodged.
Pieces of the truck were found in the eastbound lanes of Kingsway Avenue where Chloe was struck.
A short time later, Stevenson was found and arrested in the driver's seat of his truck in an alley just north of 107 Avenue near 108 Street. His breath smelled strongly of alcohol.
Stevenson’s blood alcohol was found at 107 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, which is more than double the legal limit, given an hour after the hit and run.
Impaired driving causing death carries a sentence of up to a life in prison, although Lucier said the Crown will likely be looking for three-and-a-half years.
Stevenson, who worked as a commercial lawyer with international company Dentons, was suspended after his involvement in the collision became public. Stevenson is still out on bail.
Chloe attended Victoria School of the Arts and wanted to be a social worker.
“I remember her being full of energy, full of attitude ... like most teenagers are,” Michael Wiwchar said of his late daughter.
“(She was an) all around happy kid and she was starting to become successful in life and was on the right track.”
Now life without his daughter is a “train wreck.”
“Every event, every family function, is just another reminder that Chloe is not here, reopening the wound,” Michael said.
Michael said they felt no closure during Monday’s proceedings and he wants to see an increase in the penalties for drinking and driving.
“I’d like to see an increase ... and not just because it's my daughter, but for the next family that has to go through this. The sentencing for impaired driving in my opinion is completely weak and not a deterrent,” he said.
Stevenson will be sentenced on Oct. 14. The court expects the matters to take all day due to the dozens of victim impact statements that were submitted.
