A St. John’s man has been sentenced to almost four years in prison for causing a crash that almost killed his fiancée.

Judge Bruce Short did not mince words in his condemnation of Daniel Ozon’s actions on June 26th, 2023.

The 38-year-old was impaired and suspended from driving when he sped along the Outer Ring Road at rush hour, losing control and crashing near the Carrick Drive overpass.

Dash cam footage shows a red Hyundai Santa Fe fly past a truck, swerve off the road and up a bank, then flip several times before landing back on its wheels on the road.

Ozon was barely hurt, jumped out and fled the scene, but his 26-year-old girlfriend was thrown about 15 metres into the air, ending up face-down in a ditch. She continues to recover from near-fatal injuries and has been at Ozon’s side for every court appearance.

He pleaded not guilty but was convicted of impaired and dangerous driving causing bodily harm, and failing to stay at the scene.

During sentencing yesterday, Short berated him for his “egregious” driving and selfish behavior, calling it “reprehensible” for lying that his girlfriend was the driver, and fleeing the scene not knowing if she was dead or alive.

With time already served, Ozon has about three years and three months left to serve.