Heartbroken Mother Confronts Drunk Driver Who Killed Her Three Children
In a courtroom filled with grief and anguish, Jade Galve faced the young man whose decision to drive drunk stole three of her four children from her forever. The emotional sentencing hearing for Ethan Lehuillier, 20, unfolded as the devastated mother described the unbearable loss of her children in a horrific crash that occurred on May 18, 2025.
The Tragic Night That Changed Everything
The family was returning home from Victoria Day fireworks celebrations when their van was struck at a red light on Renforth Drive in Etobicoke. Lehuillier, then 19 years old, had been driving at excessive speeds with a blood alcohol level more than double the legal limit. His vehicle exited Highway 401 at high velocity, ran the red light, struck a median, and crashed directly into the driver's side of the family's vehicle.
The impact was catastrophic. Jace Lavina, 13, and his sister Mya, 6, died instantly at the scene. Their older brother Ramone, 15, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. The children's mother Galve, 35, her partner Akesh Paladugu, 40, and their surviving son Avery, then 10, all sustained injuries requiring five days of hospitalization.
A Mother's Unbearable Loss
Galve's victim impact statement painted a heartbreaking portrait of the vibrant lives cut short. "We embraced each other as we watched the fireworks light up the sky, not knowing it was the last time," she told the court, her voice trembling with emotion. "We were on our way home when our lives changed forever because of one selfish decision."
She described her daughter Mya as a social butterfly who loved experimenting with hairstyles and outfits, a little girl who could light up any room with her jokes and impressions. Jace was remembered as smart and compassionate, a boy who would use his allowance to buy his mother's favorite desserts to thank her for working so hard. Ramone, her eldest, had recently grown closer to his mother, and she could still picture his excited face when she surprised him with news that she had worked overtime to secure him a spot on a school trip to Switzerland.
"It has been so hard to cope with everything and the loss is unbearable," Galve wept. "I can remember every single detail, especially holding my lifeless daughter in my arms, crying out for help."
The Legal Proceedings and Sentencing Arguments
Lehuillier pleaded guilty in December to three counts of impaired driving causing death and three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm. According to the agreed statement of facts, he was traveling at 168 kilometers per hour just five seconds before the collision and 95 kilometers per hour at the moment of impact—speeds described as unmanageable even for sober drivers.
Crown attorney Jay Spare compared the crash's impact to a bomb detonation, with the initial deaths creating a ripple effect of devastation that continues to injure countless others emotionally. He urged Justice Kim Crosbie to impose a prison sentence of eight to ten years along with a twenty-year driving prohibition as a deterrent to others who might consider driving while impaired.
"People who drive while impaired are gambling with people's lives," Justice Crosbie remarked during the proceedings.
Defence lawyer Christopher Avery presented mitigating factors, noting that Lehuillier is an alcoholic with intellectual disabilities who has shown genuine remorse. The young dishwasher refused a bail hearing and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. Avery argued for a seven-year sentence with credit for pre-trial custody, mentioning that his client has faced virtual segregation due to death threats while incarcerated.
A Family Forever Changed
Throughout the emotional hearing, Lehuillier kept his head bowed, frequently wiping away tears as victim impact statements were read. In barely audible words, he later apologized to the family, expressing profound shame and vowing to become a voice against impaired driving to prevent other families from experiencing similar trauma.
Galve now focuses her energy on her sole surviving child, 11-year-old Avery, who struggles daily with the loss of all his siblings. "It breaks my heart every time I ask myself, 'Why them and not me?'" she told the court. "They deserved to live a long and happy life. Now their lives have been cut short and it's not fair. Life isn't fair. We will never understand why."
Her final words to the driver she hopes will echo forever: "Drinking and driving should stop. No one deserved this, especially my children. They deserved to live. Every decision should be thought out or else you'll have to live with the guilt and the consequences for the rest of your life. I hope you remember the damage you've done."
Justice Crosbie is expected to deliver her sentencing decision in the spring, bringing some measure of closure to a case that has devastated multiple families and highlighted the tragic consequences of impaired driving.
