HWY 118 July 15 Double Fatal, Charges Now Laid | GTAMotorcycle.com

HWY 118 July 15 Double Fatal, Charges Now Laid

GreyGhost

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Why are threads in the fallen riders section disappearing after 30 days? Many times information takes longer than that to come out.

From cp24.com
Driver charged in Haliburton County crash that killed paramedic and partner

Ontario Provincial Police have laid charges in connection with a July collision in Haliburton County that left a Toronto paramedic and his partner dead and two others badly injured.
The crash happened on Highway 118 between Trappers Trail and Essonville Line in Highlands East Township at around 5 p.m. on July 15.
According to police, an eastbound Chrysler PT Cruiser crossed the center line and collided with four of seven motorcycles travelling in the opposite direction.
George Eliadis, 52, and his partner, 42-year-old Shari Williams both sustained fatal injuries.
Eliadis has been identified as a deputy commander with Toronto Paramedic Services who had 27 years of service with the organization, which included planning for major events like the Pan Am Games.
Following the collision, two other motorcyclists were rushed to hospital with critical injuries, but survived. The driver of the Chrysler sustained minor injuries.
Police said Monday that the driver of the Chrysler is now facing charges following the investigation.
Dennis Mountney, 38, of Hastings Highlands has been charged with careless driving, driving without a licence and driving a vehicle with an expired permit.

EDIT:
From quintenews.com. I don't know which site got the charges wrong.
38 year old Dennis Mountney of Hastings Highlands has been charged with careless driving, not having insurance, and driving without a permit.
He is scheduled to make a court appearance in Lindsay, Ont. on Nov. 2.
 
Last edited:
I think the CP24 is probably more accurate. While they did not mention the no insurance charge you're unlikely to have insurance if you're license is suspended and your tag is expired.

Be interesting to follow this one and see how it ends. Driving while exhausted and falling asleep, kill two people, put others in hospital + the other charges indicating complete lack of responsibility.

What's the likelihood of someone like this accepting responsibility and pleading guilty in November?
 
If the stories of falling asleep are correct, it is shocking he didn't catch an impaired charge. Maybe he was smart and kept his mouth shut and police only have anecdotal evidence of him falling asleep.
 
What's the likelihood of someone like this accepting responsibility and pleading guilty in November?

Why would he unless they gave him something? Would you plead guilty to that list of charges? What is the upside? If they drop careless, maybe that makes it worthwhile, otherwise let the prosecution try to prove their case and you may walk. Use your guilty conscience to drive you to educate others to prevent another tragedy instead of transferring money to the province (or spending time in jail).
 
From my time, in and around Haliburton, there seems to be a disproportionate number of "locals" who distrust the "system" and routinely drive vehicles with expired/no plates, no insurance etc. Now many of them are smart enough to avoid major roads like 118, and tend to stick to back roads until they are "in town".

Will be interesting to see what happens at first appearance and then sentencing etc.
 
2 people dead and all HTA offenses
how can this not be a criminal case ??????

Again, my suspicion is Dennis kept his mouth shut. All the collision reconstruction in the world can't answer why he crossed the centreline. It is hard to get a criminal conviction for would could have been a moment of inattention.
 
Minor charges laid to what amounts to be a capital crime. Disgusting!

The culprit should have been charged with manslaughter, at the very least.
 
2 people dead and all HTA offenses
how can this not be a criminal case ??????

Because you have to prove intent, which in a case like this would be virtually impossible to do. Now the list of charges are Careless Driving, but it could be that he has actually been charged with Careless Driving causing death, as well as causing injury, but the media, missed that part, or the media release didn't list the proper charges, or the crown plans to amend once in court.
 
Minor charges laid to what amounts to be a capital crime. Disgusting!

The culprit should have been charged with manslaughter, at the very least.

Manslaughter is not an applicable charge, as it was a result of a traffic collision. The proper charge would be Careless Driving causing death. If a charge of manslaughter were laid it would be dismissed immediately as the facts of the case do not support the charge. so better they go with the appropriate charge.
 
Because you have to prove intent, which in a case like this would be virtually impossible to do. Now the list of charges are Careless Driving, but it could be that he has actually been charged with Careless Driving causing death, as well as causing injury, but the media, missed that part, or the media release didn't list the proper charges, or the crown plans to amend once in court.

thanks for the info

in a high profile incident like this
is it safe to assume the Crown was involved in the decision how to charge?
 
2 people dead and all HTA offenses
how can this not be a criminal case ??????

This doesn't really surprise me. I can't remember the last time there was a collision involving death that did not escalate beyond HTA offenses when alcohol was not involved.

It's an unfortunate reality for motorcyclists. If you get into a collision, it's the end for you and a slap on the wrist for the driver.
 
Last edited:
Manslaughter is not an applicable charge, as it was a result of a traffic collision. The proper charge would be Careless Driving causing death. If a charge of manslaughter were laid it would be dismissed immediately as the facts of the case do not support the charge. so better they go with the appropriate charge.

So what are the minimum and maximum jail times for both Careless Driving Causing Death and Manslaughter? In a just world they would be the same since both involve death without premeditation. The only difference being a car as the weapon.
 
This doesn't really surprise me. I can't remember the last time there was a collision involving death that did not escalate beyond HTA offenses when alcohol was not involved.

It's an unfortunate reality for motorcyclists. If you get into a collision, it's the end for you and a slap on the wrist for the driver.

Even if the penalties were increased would it change anything?

How severe would the penalties have to be to make people drive like the drive test examiner was in the car?

If you followed the typical driver for a day you would probably find that they break dozens of laws every day. Minor lane intrusions, rolling stops, 10 overs, unsafe turns etc. Because only one error in a couple of hundred thousand results in a crash it doesn't seem important. The driver could go 10 to 20 years before one of the unsafe moves causes a crash and probably not fatal at that.

Suddenly the odds go bad, someone is killed and there is a demand for jail time.

Every unsafe move has the potential to kill so therefore every unsafe move deserves jail time. The roads would be safe because we'd all be in jail.

We need a different form of punishment. The present monetary fine system has become a cash cow. If the government didn't profit from the offenses maybe there would be more charges for things other than speeding. I'm not an autobahn proponent but the public has been brain washed into thinking speeding is the only important factor in crashes.

As it stands you are unlikely to ever get a ticket if you:

Don't speed
Don't DUI
Don't text
Don't run stops / reds

Other than that you can be as sloppy as a drunk pig and rarely get nailed.

I don't know what would replace monetary fines but like the thinking of D H Lawrence who suggested a dagger fixed to the steering wheel and aimed at the driver's heart.
 
I don't know what would replace monetary fines but like the thinking of D H Lawrence who suggested a dagger fixed to the steering wheel and aimed at the driver's heart.


Aimed at the forehead would be a better idea. Hearts are pretty valuable for organ transplantation. Open casket funerals would be pretty awkward, but the free market would respond quickly with remedies.
 
So you kill 2 people and seriously injure 2 others, affecting lives & families forever and you get a $1000 fine and a slap on the wrist.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4101308/fine-haliburton-crash-toronto-paramedic-partner-killed/

"A judge ordered Jamie Mountney, 38, of Hastings Highlands, to pay a $1,000 fine, suspended his driver’s licence for one year and placed him on two years’ probation for his role in a crash that killed an Uxbridge couple and seriously injured two others.

Court heard that on July 15, 2017, Mountney’s Chrysler PT Cruiser crossed the centre line on Highway 118 and slammed into a westbound group of seven motorcyclists."
 
Minor charges laid to what amounts to be a capital crime. Disgusting!

The culprit should have been charged with manslaughter, at the very least.
I suspect there will be some jail time. Maybe he'll get lucky and be bunked with a nice gent from the Hell's Angels or Rock Machine.
 
Thanks for the follow up.

It's hard to believe you can take 2 lives and effectively get a slap on the wrist with a $1,000 fine. In local papers (Peterborough) we often read about hunters and anglers who receive fines = to multiple thousands of dollars for simply hunting or fishing out of season.

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer...-for-hunting-offences-in-peterborough-county/

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer...n-brief-man-fined-1-000-for-careless-hunting/

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer...unter-fined-1-500-for-part-in-shooting-ducks/

The laws need to be rewritten!
 
I suspect there will be some jail time. Maybe he'll get lucky and be bunked with a nice gent from the Hell's Angels or Rock Machine.

Off the top of my head none of those charges are criminal.
 

Back
Top Bottom