Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The mother of three children killed in an Etobicoke crash last May delivered an emotional victim impact statement in a Toronto courtroom at a sentencing hearing for the impaired driver responsible on Thursday.
Jade Galve spoke to the Ontario Court of Justice ahead of sentencing submissions for Ethan Lehouillier, 20, of Georgetown, Ont.
Lehouillier pleaded guilty in December to three counts of impaired driving causing death and three counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm.
“I hope you remember the damage you’ve done,” Galve said in court.
Galve was in the passenger seat on May 18, 2025 while her partner Akash Paladugu drove her and her four children home after watching Victoria Day fireworks.
Toronto police have alleged that Lehouillier, 19 at the time, was alone and speeding in a Dodge Caravan heading east and was exiting the 401, when he lost control of his vehicle. The van then went over a median and collided with the family’s vehicle, a Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Renforth Drive and the Renforth Drive exit ramp from Highway 401.
Galve’s children — Ramone, 15, Jace, 13, and Mya Laviña-Galve, six — died as a result of the crash. Jade Galve, her partner and another son, 10 at the time, survived.
Toronto police are shown here at the scene of the crash that occurred on May 18, 2025. (Spencer Gallichan-Lowe/CBC)
In her tearful statement, Galve said she raised her children to be smart and thoughtful, and now she and her family will not be able to see them grow up.
She said she remembers Ramone as smart and strong, a volleyball player dedicated to getting good grades and well-liked at school.
She described Jace as smart, compassionate and responsible. When she worked long hours, he would help with his siblings. He was thoughtful and kind, she said.
Mya, she said, was a funny and vibrant social butterfly and a ray of sunshine. She said she was well behaved, would clean up after herself and was very independent.
Galve also described the emotional impact on her now 11-year-old son who survived the crash. She said he was left without siblings and is struggling.
Now seeking therapy for ongoing trauma, Galve said her children deserved to live a long and happy life, and all of their lives have been altered by a single individual making a selfish decision.
Galve said she remembers every detail of the crash and it is hard to cope.
Drinking and driving should stop, mother says
Drinking and driving must stop, she said, and she issued a plea for others not to make the same choice.
Lehouillier listened in the prisoner’s box, wiping tears from his face as the statement was read.
Ethan Lehoullier wipes his eyes while listening to victim impact statements in court on Thursday. (Pam Davies/CBC)
Other family members and Galve’s partner also delivered victim impact statements.
In a statement read by someone else, Paladugu said he lives with the unbearable reality that the children were in his care when the crash happened.
He said he wishes he could have protected them, even from something he could not control. He said he feels relentless guilt, though he did nothing wrong, and the burden is something he will live with for the rest of his life.
Every milestone and holiday is a reminder and the grief is constant and overwhelming, he said.
Extensive injuries, both physical and mental, have taken a toll and he hasn’t been able to work to support his family. He said the crash has ruined his life.
Following the statements, the Crown and defence made sentencing submissions.
The Crown asked for eight to 10 years, while the defence argued for six to eight years. A decision on sentencing will take place at a later date.