Peter Smith (right), leaves Red Deer Court with girlfriend Maureen Jacobs and daughter Madison Jacobs on Tuesday, following the sentencing of Dylan Beauclair who was convicted in a crash that killed Smith's 16-year-old daughter Ashleigh and 18-year old John Dolliver on July 1, 2016.

By Sheldon Spackman

red deer court

Beauclair sentenced to three years for fatal 2016 Canada Day crash that claimed two lives

Sep 3, 2019 | 1:23 PM

A young Red Deer man convicted in a crash that killed two teens on Canada Day 2016 has been sentenced to three years behind bars.

Dylan James Beauclair, 21, was also handed a 10-year driving ban and ordered to provide a DNA sample after being sentenced in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench on Tuesday.

Beauclair was convicted in April of this year on two counts of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm following his trial in February.

On Tuesday, he was sentenced to three years each on two counts of dangerous driving causing death and one year each for two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, all to be served concurrently.

During sentencing, Justice Bill Hopkins told court the gravity of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 16-year-old Ashleigh Smith of Springbrook and 18-year-old John Dolliver of Penhold is profound.

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“The offender engaged in a deliberate driving pattern,” said Hopkins. “He also endangered the lives of others that were using the roadway at the same time. The impact on the victim’s families and community is immense.”

At trial, court heard Beauclair and his girlfriend Shaylene Taberner were joined by friends Ashleigh Smith, John Dolliver and Lexie Martin the night of July 1, 2016.

The group had planned to attend the fireworks display in Sylvan Lake before heading to the Joffre area to attend a party but rain forced the group to change their plans and go directly to the party.

Court heard Taberner was the designated driver that night but on the way to the party, a pair of angry phone calls from her father led the group to change their plans again and have Beauclair take over driving to get Taberner home faster.

RCMP forensic collision analyst Cst. Stephen Molnar testified Beauclair’s vehicle was travelling south on Highway 808 east of Red Deer at speeds of between 121-145 km/hr, with a series of warning signs and rumble strips notifying motorists of an upcoming intersection at Highway 595.

Molnar testified however that Beauclair’s vehicle blew the stop sign at Highway 595 and narrowly missed a head-on collision with a northbound vehicle on Range Road 261 where his vehicle lost control on the gravel surface and hit the eastside ditch, damaging a barbwire fence, then downing a utility pole before coming to rest.

The crash resulted in Smith, Dolliver and Martin all being ejected from the backseat of Beauclair’s vehicle, fatally injuring Smith and Dolliver while injuring Martin and Taberner.

Speaking to reporters outside of court following Beauclair’s sentencing, Taberner said, “He doesn’t deserve it, he’s a good person.”