Josh Whiteway says he’s relieved and elated that Nicholas Villeneuve will face a new trial for a fatal crash on the TCH near Gander.
The head-on collision left John and Sandra Lush of Lewisporte dead, and their daughter Suzanne, and her boyfriend, Whiteway, with serious injuries.
Villeneuve, who was 20 at the time, faced eight charges in total: four each of impaired driving causing death, and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
But he was acquitted when the judge ruled his rights were breached by the arresting officer.
The Crown appealed and won a new trial, leaving Villeneuve with the Supreme Court of Canada as his last chance, which was dashed yesterday.
Whiteway, who was left paralyed from the waist down, was also part of protests against the acquittals.
But he says the two recent, higher court decisions have given him renewed hope.
(File photo. Protesters gather outside the courts in Gander.)
“The (errors) by the previous judge, overturned by three, in my opinion, more competent judges, and now the Supreme Court of Canada,” he said. “So I’m hopeful now that we’re going to get a favourable outcome on this.”
Whiteway admits it’s been a long and difficult road but says it’s not about that.
“I don’t really care how hard or how long it takes,” he said. “It’s just about getting the right outcome.”
Villeneuve, meanwhile, is already back on the Gander provincial court docket for February 6.
