More than a year after a vehicle heading the wrong way down Queens Avenue crashed into a home leading to a massive explosion, a Kitchener woman has pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.
Daniella Leis pleaded guilty via teleconference at the London courthouse on Thursday to four counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm.
When asked for her plea, the 24-year-old simply replied, “I plead guilty.”
According to an agreed statement of facts, Leis had driven her father’s grey Ford Fusion to London on August 14, 2019 to attend a concert downtown. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening she was seen traveling the wrong direction on Queens Avenue, a one-way street. Other motorists tried to notify her by honking their horns and waving at her, but did not get a response from Leis. She drove roughly 2.78 kilometres in the wrong direction before crashing into a home at 450 Woodman Ave. It was noted that she was travelling the speed limit until just moments before the collision when she began operating the vehicle at a “high rate of speed.”
"One civilian who saw the vehicle collide with the house described the force of the collision causing the rear end of the vehicle to lift into the air on impact before returning to the ground," Assistant Crown Attorney Jason Miller told the court. "Another civilian who witnessed the crash described the force as causing him to believe that the person involved would likely have been critically injured.
When the car slammed into the home it severed a natural gas line. The gas quickly filled the home and ignited within the confined space causing the blast which sent glass flying 76 metres and other debris up to 180 metres away.
Fortunately, the resident of 450 Woodman realized the gas line had been cut almost immediately following the crash, called 911, and worked to warn neighbouring homes to evacuate.
When emergency crews arrived on scene, Leis was unresponsive inside the vehicle. First responders freed her, at which point an officer noticed the strong smell of alcohol on her breath. The then-23-year-old, now conscious, admitted to the officer that she had been drinking at the concert. She was unsteady on her feet and slurring her words, Miller told the court.
The house exploded at 10:51 p.m.
Seven people were hurt in the blast. Those suffering the most severe injuries included two firefighters and two police officers. Details of their injuries were outlined to the court.
One firefighter, who was one of the first to arrive on scene, was helping to evacuate homes when the explosion knocked him to the ground. He was buried in debris, had to be dug out by his colleagues and was carried to an ambulance in critical condition. He spent eight days in hospital and suffered severe facial cuts, impacted teeth, a fractured hard palate, lung contusions, puncture wounds, a fractured rib and clavical, loss of hand use, and concussion like symptoms.
A fire captain was hit in the head by a flying brick, the force of which caused his helmet to fly off. He was taken to hospital where he required surgery for an aneurysm.
One of the police officers who was hurt was hit by debris in the leg and hip. He suffered hearing loss, traumatic tinnitus, eye sight damage in his left eye, and injuries to his pelvis and leg. Another officer knocked off his feet by the blast was treated for a concussion, multiple lacerations, and tinnitus.
The home at 450 Woodman was obliterated in the explosion. Seven other nearby homes caught on fire. It took 50 firefighters and 16 fire trucks all night to extinguish the flames.
448 and 452 Woodman were so severely damaged they had to be torn down in the days that followed. Several other homes needed repair before residents were allowed to return. In total, 72 houses were evacuated the night of the blast.
Leis was taken to London police headquarters where she provided a breath sample that showed she had 220 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, nearly three times the legal limit.
She was originally charged with 12 offences – four counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm, four counts of driving with more than the legal limit of alcohol in her blood causing bodily harm, and four counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm. As part of her guilty plea to the four counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm the remaining eight charges were withdrawn.
The court was told during Thursday's proceedings that Leis has no criminal record.
Richard Braiden, Leis' defence lawyer, has requested a Gladue report be prepared prior to sentencing as her grandmother is Indigenous. A Gladue report is a pre-sentencing report that can be used under the criminal code to give consideration to an offender of Indigenous background.
A sentencing hearing for Leis has been set for January 21.