WINNIPEG, Man. – A 20-year-old Manitoba man has been found guilty of murder after he deliberately drove into the path of a transport truck.

Darrell Fontaine was found guilty last month of committing first-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Candace Henderson, a passenger in his car when it struck the heavy truck. The crash took place near Moorsehorn, Man., 150 kilometers north of Winnipeg. It occurred after a high-speed police chase in April of 1999.

The jury deliberated for more than 24 hours before handing down a sentence of life in prison, with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Fontaine was also found guilty of attempting to murder the car’s two other occupants. Passenger Charlie O’Brien managed to jump out of the car minutes before the collision, while Laura Janvier suffered several broken bones in the crash.

Fontaine’s defence lawyer, Darren Sawchuk, had asked jurors to have compassion for his client, who was 18 at the time and having personal difficulties. Fontaine had a blood alcohol level twice the legal-limit and had taken Valium before the car chase.

The convicted man’s car reportedly hit speeds of more than 180kph during the fatal chase. He repeatedly told the occupants that he planned to kill himself and that if they wanted to live, they would have to leap from the vehicle. n