Driver sentenced to 10 years for Boxing Day crash that killed 9-year-old girl in Calgary
Duane Nepoose barrelled through a red light while fleeing police in a stolen minivan, killing Victoria Desjardins and injuring her mother and sister.
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A man who sped from Calgary police in a stolen minivan, causing a crash that killed a nine-year-old girl, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Duane Nepoose, 32, pleaded guilty last summer to charges including dangerous driving and fleeing a police officer. On August 27, an Alberta court handed down the 10-year sentence.
On Boxing Day 2024, Nepoose barrelled through a red light and rammed into the side of a car carrying Victoria Desjardins and her family. The nine-year-old girl died soon after in hospital. Her mother and sister were also seriously injured in the collision.
The Crown had recommended Nepoose be sentenced to between 9 1/2 and 10 1/2 years in prison, while the defence asked for seven to nine years.
The facts
Who was killed in the Boxing Day 2024 crash in Calgary?
Victoria Desjardins, a nine-year-old girl, was killed when Duane Nepoose's stolen minivan struck her family's car on Boxing Day 2024. She died shortly after in hospital.
How long was Duane Nepoose sentenced to prison?
Duane Nepoose was sentenced to 10 years in prison on August 27, 2026, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving and fleeing a police officer.
What was Nepoose driving when he caused the crash?
Duane Nepoose was driving a stolen minivan when he barrelled through a red light and collided with Victoria Desjardins's family car.
