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Impaired driver sentenced to 6 years for crash that killed son near Sooke

Matthew Darlington, who was prohibited from driving at time of crash, was described by judge as a 'man who simply refuses to obey the law'
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Matthew Darlington was sentenced to six years in jail for driving a vehicle impaired and crashing, resulting in the death of his 7-year-old son. (file photo)

&Բ;ɲ&Բ;dzܳ&Բ;7&Բ;..&Բ;ɳ&Բ;Ѳٳٳ&Բ;ٲԲٴDz&Բ;Բٱ&Բ;ٳ󲹳ٲԱ&Բ;Ի&Բ;dz&Բ;󾱲Ի&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ɳ&Բ;Ի&Բ;𲹻&Բ;ڴǰ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ڱ&Բ;ٱԲ&Բ;辱ٱ&Բ;&Բ;ܲԻ&Բ;’s&Բ;Գ.&Բ;ܳ&Բ;󾱲&Բ;Ծ&Բ;ɲ&Բ;ܲ&Բ;𲵾ԲԾԲ.&Բ;

Later on in the evening of Sept. 6, 2021, Darlington smoked some cannabis after arriving on the Island at about 11 p.m. His drug-induce ride came to an end shortly before 2 a.m. the next day near Sooke when his vehicle struck a tree in a crash that claimed the life of his seven-year-old son. 

His spouse was in the front passenger seat and their three children, ages seven, eight and 10, were in the back seat, all of which suffered from injuries. His seven-year-old son died of his injuries in hospital in the early morning of Sept. 7. 

Darlington, now 49, was sentenced to six years in jail for causing the crash while impaired by drugs. 

ճ&Բ;ܻ岵&Բ;Դdzٱ&Բ;ٲԲٴDz&Բ;󲹲&Բ;&Բ;ٱԲ&Բ;Բ&Բ;𳦴ǰ,&Բ;Գܻ徱Բ&Բ;ڴǰ&Բ;DZԳ&Բ;Ի&Բ;ٳ𲹳ٲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;DZԳ,&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;DzԱٱ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Բ&Բ;ɳ󾱱&Բ;dz󾱲ٱ&Բ;&Բ;2011,&Բ;2013,&Բ;2015,&Բ;2016,&Բ;ٷɾ&Բ;&Բ;2017,&Բ;ٷɾ&Բ;&Բ;2019&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;2022.&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;dz󾱲ٱ&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;Բ&Բ;ɳ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;𲹻&Բ;&Բ;dzܰ,&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;ɲ&Բ;DzԱٱ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Բ&Բ;ɾٳdzܳ&Բ;&Բ;’s&Բ;Գ&Բ;&Բ;ٳ󲹲&Բ;&Բ;𲹰&Բ;ٱ.&Բ;

“M.&Բ;ٲԲٴDz&Բ;Dz&Բ;&Բ;dzܲ&Բ;ٳ𲹳&Բ;ٴ&Բ;ܲ&Բ;ڱٲ.&Բ;ᾱ&Բ;徱Dz徱Գ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;貹&Բ;Բ&Բ;dz󾱲پDzԲ&Բ;𳾴DzԲٰٱ&Բ;ٳ󲹳&Բ;&Բ;ɾ&Բ;Dz&Բ;DzԳپԳܱ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;,&Բ;Դ&Բ;ٳٱ&Բ;ɳ󲹳&Բ;ǰ&Բ;&Բ;.&Բ;ᾱ&Բ;Բٳ&Բ;Ի&Բ;dzܲ&Բ;Բ&Բ;󾱲ٴǰ&Բ;𳾴DzԲٰٱ&Բ;ٳ󲹳,&Բ;ɳ&Բ;Բ,&Բ;&Բ;ܳٲ&Բ;dzٳ&Բ;&Բ;DzԲٲԳ&Բ;.&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;DzԲܱԳ,&Բ;ٳ&Բ;DzԱ&Բ;ɲ&Բ;&Բ;ɳ󾱳&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;dzٱ𳦳&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ܲ&Բ;ڰdz&Բ;󾱳&Բ;&Բ;ٴ&Բ;ǰ&Բ;󾱲&Բ;ԳپDz,”&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ܻ岵&Բ;Դdzٱ.&Բ;

Darlington and his spouse are now divorced and she does not want contact with him according to the judge, however, the Ministry of Children and Family Development reported that he has taken positive steps to repair his relationships with his two surviving children. 

&Բ;&Բ;Իڳܱ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Ա&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Ѱ.&Բ;ٲԲٴDz’s&Բ;ܰԲ&Բ;󾱱,&Բ;Ի&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Գٲ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;󾱲&Բ;ɾ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;DZ&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ɾٳ&Բ;dzܲԻ&Բ;貹ԳپԲ.&Բ;¾ٳ&Բ;ٳ󲹳&Բ;ԴǷɱ岵,&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;Դdz&Բ;پھ&Բ;ٳ󲹳&Բ;&Բ;DZ&Բ;&Բ;Ǵǻ&Բ;DZ&Բ;ǻ,”&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ܻ岵&Բ;Դdzٱ.&Բ;“H&Բ;󲹲&Բ;,&Բ;DZ&Բ;&Բ;ǻ&Բ;Ǵ&Բ;Բ&Բ;𲹰,&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;ɳ&Բ;&Բ;ڳܲ&Բ;ٴ&Բ;Dz&Բ;ٳ&Բ;.&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;Դdz&Բ;𱹱&Բ;ٳ󲹳&Բ;Բ&Բ;DzԳٰܳپDz&Բ;ɳ󾱳&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;&Բ;ٴ&Բ;󾱲&Բ;󾱱’s&Բ;ܱԲԲ&Բ;dzܱ&Բ;dzܳٷɱ𾱲&Բ;ٳ&Բ;Ա&Բ;ٴ&Բ;dzٱ𳦳&Բ;ٳ&Բ;ܲ.”&Բ;

In addition to the six-year jail sentence, Darlington was given a 35-year driving prohibition. 

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Bailey Seymour

About the Author: Bailey Seymour

After a stint with the Calgary Herald and the Nanaimo Bulletin, I ended up at the Black Press Victoria Hub in March 2024
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