CALGARY – The Crown says a Calgary man who pleaded guilty to causing a crash that killed a nine-year-old girl in 2024 should serve between 9 1/2 and 10 1/2 years in prison.
Duane Nepoose has admitted to dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing bodily harm, robbery and fleeing a police officer in the 2024 crash.
Court heard Nepoose stole a minivan and, as he was speeding through traffic, ran a red light and caused the crash that left Victoria Desjardins dead.
The Calgary Courts Centre is pictured in Calgary, Monday, May 6, 2024. A sentencing hearing for a Calgary couple in the death of their badly burned and emaciated toddler has been rescheduled for next month.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The nine-year-old died in hospital after the crash on Dec. 26, 2024.
During sentencing arguments Wednesday, prosecutor Todd Buziak pointed to psychiatric reports that described Nepoose as a high risk to violently offend again.
Several members of Desjardin’s family were in the courtroom for the hearing and 13 victim impact statements were to be read into the record.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2026.