A 56-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for a fatal 2023 collision that killed 29-year-old Adam Hirschfeld on Skead Road in Sudbury.
Nuno Jorge Duraes pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death after his vehicle crossed the centre line and struck Hirschfeld’s car head-on shortly after 3 a.m. on June 17, 2023. Blood tests taken about two hours after the crash showed Duraes had 2.5 times the legal alcohol limit.
During Thursday’s emotional sentencing hearing, Hirschfeld’s mother, siblings and the mother of his young son described the lasting grief and devastation caused by his death. His son, Cooper, was just 17 months old at the time of the collision.
Duraes apologized to the family and community, while his defence lawyers highlighted his lack of a criminal record and his remorse.
Justice Robin Bellows accepted a joint recommendation from the Crown and defence for a three-year prison sentence. Duraes will also face a driving prohibition of approximately three and a half years, must provide a DNA sample and cannot contact the Hirschfeld family. All other charges were withdrawn.