Sherwood Park man sentenced to 5 years in prison for 2022 drunk driving crash that killed Edmonton couple – Edmonton

A Sherwood Park man who pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death in an August 2022 collision that left an Edmonton couple dead was sentenced Monday to five years in prison.

Taylor Yaremchuk pleaded guilty in September 2023 to two counts of impaired driving causing death for his role in an August 14, 2022 collision that killed Jim Macdonald, 68, and Annie Macdonald, 63.

The court previously heard that Yaremchuk admitted to drinking alcohol at Belvedere Golf and Country Club on the morning of August 14, 2022 and then leaving in his vehicle. Around noon, Yaremchuk crossed the center line of Highway 628 and collided head-on with the motorcycle the Macdonalds were driving. The motorcycle caught fire and Jim and Annie died instantly.

Yaremchuk had more than twice the legal limit of blood alcohol in his system, the court heard.

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Victim impact statements read in drunken driving crash that killed Edmonton couple riding motorcycles near Sherwood Park

Yaremchuk learned his fate Monday morning in an Edmonton courtroom.

The Sherwood Park man has already served 38 days, making 57 days of his sentence. He was also given a seven-year driving ban.

“It’s just another day,” the couple’s daughter, Breigh Cohen, said Monday outside the courthouse.

“It’s a difficult day. Nothing is going to bring them back. We feel that the justice system has heard us and is sending the message that there should be no more drinking and driving. This didn't need to happen.

The Macdonalds were born and raised in Edmonton. Jim worked at MacEwan University, while Annie worked for the provincial government.

Jim and Annie were both very active, according to their family, and passionate about skiing and biking.

The couple had three children and seven grandchildren.

“I think our parents were the champions of the underdogs in our town,” Cohen said.

“This is a tremendous loss for our city and certainly an even greater loss for our family. Nothing – nothing – will bring them back, but I hope people remember their big hearts and kindness.

The Crown had requested a five-year sentence for Yaremchuk. The defense asked for a sentence of three to five years.

In her sentencing decision, Judge Shaina Leonard cited mitigating factors such as Yaremchuk's lack of criminal record and remorse. At the sentencing hearing last month, the defense said Yaremchuk had not touched alcohol since the incident.

Leonard cited aggravating factors such as Yaremchuk's high blood alcohol level at the time of the crash, as well as his prior convictions for speeding and distracted driving.

“There is no doubt that the offender was aware of the risks associated with drink-driving,” the judge said on Monday.

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