A Calgary man was issued an 18-month driving prohibition and fined $1,600 for a rollover on Highway 16 that cost the life of his best friend.
Jason Lyle Fletcher, 42, openly wept as details surrounding the August 27, 2015 crash were reviewed during a sentencing hearing Wednesday in Prince George provincial court.
The two had left Calgary at midnight, switched seats in Canmore and then once more at McBride so Fletcher was again behind the wheel.
That occurred at about 6:30 a.m. and two hours later the wreckage of their vehicle was found in on the side of the road east of Purden.
During a trial, a witnesses testified seeing a vehicle matching its description weaving in its lane and Crown prosecution has argued Fletcher fell asleep behind the wheel.
He had been taking medication for back pain but the dosage was well below the therapeutic limit, the court was told, and Crown chose not to make that an issue due to a lack of evidence on its effects.
Fletcher's friend died at the scene and he was in hospital for three months and off work for a year recovering from his injuries.
Victim impact statements from the deceased's sister and brother described the event as a "tragic accident" that would have been "doubly bad" had Fletcher also not survived.
Fletcher was tearful throughout the 25-minute hearing.
""Remorse doesn't cover it, he's devastated," defence counsel Keith Jones told the court.
Fletcher does not remember the actual crash, only waking up in the wreckage.
An expert estimated the actual event took just two seconds but in agreeing with Crown's position on sentencing, Judge Michael Gray found "something more was developing" in the time leading up to the crash.
Following a trial, Fletcher was convicted of driving without due care and attention under the Motor Vehicle Act and the outcome was in line with other sentences for the offence.
Fletcher was also assessed a $240 victim surcharge.
