A Sudbury man has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in connection with a fatal head-on crash in April 2022 on Highway 12 in Oro-Medonte that claimed the life of 66-year-old Irene Youngblut of Tay Township.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, 55-year-old Leo Michel admitted to causing the collision that killed Youngblut, a school bus driver with Orillia Transit. Court heard that Michel had cocaine, fentanyl, methadone, and THC in his system at the time of the crash, and a bag of marijuana was found inside his vehicle. He suffered a broken leg in the collision near Moonstone Road, which left both vehicles destroyed.
Michel was initially charged with impaired driving causing death but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of dangerous driving causing death. He had been released on bail until being re-arrested in June for missing court appearances.
During the hearing, Youngblut’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements, describing the profound grief and anger caused by her loss. Her sister, husband, and daughter spoke of her kindness, devotion to family, and resilience after surviving a severe battle with COVID-19 just months before her death.
Michel, who has a lengthy criminal record spanning three decades, will return to court for sentencing in January before Justice Howard Leibovich.