CANADA • Jaidyn FREE, 21 months old ~ Edmonton AB

Prison, driving prohibition for Edmonton father whose reckless driving led to son’s death
Shawn Michael Free, 30, walked away from accident scene as toddler dangled, bleeding, from car
September 02, 2011


Alberta provincial court

An Edmonton father who left his toddler son dangling from his vehicle after an accident caused by his reckless driving was on Friday sent to prison for the fatal crash.

Shawn Michael Free admitted he blew through a stop sign, causing an accident that killed his 21-month-old son Jaidyn Free on Aug. 7, 2007. He also admitted to fleeing the scene while Jaidyn, his young daughter, and his common-law spouse at the time lay injured in the vehicle.

“It is incomprehensible that a parent would leave their children and their family in that horrible state,” said Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Juliana Topolniski.

The judge agreed to a joint submission by Crown and defence lawyers to sentence Free to two-and-a-half years in prison and a three-year driving prohibition after he is released. Free, 30, had earlier pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and fleeing the scene of a collision.

Topolniski noted that Free and the mother of his son will always live with their own “personal nightmares.”

“To bury a child is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking experiences a parent can have.”

Free was driving a Kia Magentis in the Bonnie Doon Mall parking lot that August day, with his common-law spouse Stacia Storowotsky in the passenger seat. Their three-year-old daughter and Jaidyn were in the back.

Free and Storowotsky had been arguing when, she reported, Free heard police sirens and “got scared,” according to an agreed statement of facts signed by both sides in the case. Free then “ripped” out of the parking lot and headed east on 83rd Avenue.

Storowotsky was screaming at Free to slow down. She says Free slammed on the brakes when she pointed to a stop sign, then said, “I’m just going to go,” before hitting the gas and going through the 79th Street intersection. The Kia was T-boned by another car.

The collision caused the car to spin and slide until it struck a tree, with the impact happening directly behind the rear passenger seat, where Jaidyn was seated.

Storowotsky passed out briefly, while Free got out of the car, grabbed a backpack from the back seat and quickly walked away. One witness reported that Free looked back at the scene but did not stop. His son was hanging out of the car, bleeding from his head. Another witness said the child was in a car seat with a seat belt, but the harness was not fastened.

According to Free’s defence lawyer Chady Moustarah, Free still does not recall what happened right after the crash.

About 15 minutes later, Free called 911 from a nearby pub and reported he’d been in a collision. He returned to the scene 15 minutes after that and frantically asked about his children and Storowotsky.

He told police he’d left the scene to get help. He did not have the backpack with him after he returned, said the agreed statement of facts.

Jaidyn suffered significant spinal cord and brain injuries and was taken off life support 21 days later.

Storowotsky, who has since separated from Free, asked why he should be “shown mercy” when he had none for his children.

In her victim impact statement, she said she thinks of what her son would be like today: “Would he be tall, would his smile be as sweet as I remember? But these are all just thoughts and wishes and will never be reality because he took that.”

Crown prosecutor Kimberley Goddard said legal precedents put the general range for a dangerous driving causing death conviction at 18 to 30 months.

A significant mitigating factor in the case was Free’s guilty plea, she said.

Free apologized to the court and said he would be “punished for the rest of my life” for his son’s death.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Prison+driving+prohibition+Edmonton+father+whose+reckless+driving+death/5347448/story.html



Free's then-common-law wife, Stacia Storowotsky, 28, and a second young child, Aryianna Storowotsky, were injured as well.

Storowotsky suffered a broken collarbone and required surgery. Aryianna remained in hospital for several days with internal injuries. Free was examined and released.

Jaidyn suffered significant spinal and brain injuries and was taken off life-support 21 days later.