A Calgary woman was given a lengthy jail sentence last week for killing one man and seriously injuring two others in a collision after driving the wrong way on Highway 2.
In Okotoks Provincial Court on Jan. 26 Court Judge P. McIlhargey sentenced Roxanne Swanson to two-and-a-half years in jail and issued a seven-year driving prohibition for the horrific incident.
“It had devastating and life altering consequences,” he said.
At about 8:45 p.m. on March 28, 2009, Swanson collided head-on with a vehicle while driving the wrong way on Highway 2 east of Okotoks. She was travelling north in the southbound lanes and hit a car being driven by a couple from Granum. Swanson has admitted to consuming alcohol at a friend’s house in Okotoks earlier that day.
Calgarian David Tarr, a passenger in the car with Swanson, was killed in the collision and the couple from Granum suffered serious injuries. The man was unable to continue his job in construction due to his injuries. His wife suffered numerous broken bones, including a fractured spine and broken pelvis and a crushed right foot and ankle. She can no longer work as an operating room nurse and walks with a crutch to this day.
“She will never be able to carry on in her life as she knew it,” said Crown prosecutor Mac Vomberg.
Swanson had pleaded guilty in July to two counts of dangerous driving causing injury and one of dangerous driving causing death. She was initially charged with impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing injury and driving an uninsured vehicle on a highway, but those charges were dropped in July after a preliminary hearing and Swanson then pleaded guilty to the other charges.
A presentence report showed Swanson has a long history of substance abuse, including alcohol, crack cocaine and prescription medication.
Defense attorney Karen Molle agreed a jail sentence to be served in a federal penitentiary was suitable, but asked for a term in the two-year range.
Swanson would be able to get help with her additions while behind bars said her lawyer.
“It will provide her with very much needed assistance,” said Molle.
She said Swanson was going home to Calgary from Okotoks and took a wrong turn at the Aldersyde overpass, ended up going the wrong way on Highway 2. She said Swanson didn’t realize this until she saw oncoming traffic.
Swanson remained quiet for most of the hearing and apologized to the victims of the collision when given an opportunity.
McIlhargey said he believed her apology was sincere.
However, the driver of the car Swanson hit didn’t agree.
James Nixon said if she was, Swanson would’ve apologized to him and his wife sooner.
While he said it’s good Swanson was sent to jail, Nixon had hoped she would receive a longer sentence because the collision killed one person, ruined his wife’s life and “half-ruined” his own.
“It strikes me that for motor vehicle accidents… a life isn’t really worth much,” he said.
