By BRENDA KOSSOWAN
Advocate staff
An Innisfail man accused of killing four people and injuring another in a head-on collision on Hwy 2 was sentenced on Friday to serve six and a half years in prison.
Tyler James Stevens, 30, pleaded guilty in September to four counts of criminal negligence causing death and one count of criminal negligence causing injury for his role in the March 4 crash.
He also received a six-year driving prohibition, a 10-year firearms probition and must submit a DNA sample. He will receive 24 days credit for time spent in custody.
Court heard that Stevens, who had recently moved to the area from Cochrane, took a wrong exit at Bowden and ended up heading north in the southbound lanes at about 11:30 p.m.
Other drivers had managed to avoid his vehicle and tried to alert him by flashing their headlights as he headed toward a southbound SUV carrying five citizens of the Philippines, co-workers at an Edmonton hotel.
The group had just picked up their supper on their way to Calgary to meet a friend at the airport.
RCMP collision analyst Donovan Gulak said in an earlier interview with the Advocate that their meals were still warm when he arrived at the scene.
Killed were Anthony Subong Castillon, 35, Joey Flores Mangonon, 35, Eden Dalu Biazon, 39, and Josefina Flores Velarde, 52. Josephine Gaila Tamondong, 28, suffered serious injuries.
Crown prosecutor Anders Quist and defence counsel Ian Savage of Calgary made a joint submission for the sentence, pronounced by Judge Bill Andreasson in Red Deer provincial court.
Quist withdrew the remaining 15 charges, which included multiple counts of impaired driving and refusing to provide a breath sample.