Family slams prison sentence for driver in London, Ont. crash that killed woman
Clay Kuzio received three and a half years in prison for the fatal January 2022 crash.
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A London man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and given a five-year driving ban after a south-end crash that killed a woman on the eve of her 37th birthday.
Clay Kuzio, found guilty of dangerous driving causing death in relation to a January 2022 crash that killed Rachel Stapleton, showed little emotion as Superior Court Justice Kelly Tranquilli announced her sentence Monday.
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Kuzio demonstrated “unrestrained disregard for the consequences of his actions and the safety of others,” Justice Tranquilli said.
“This was not a virtual reality game,” she said, adding the way he was driving the day of the crash constituted a “reckless and irresponsible gamble with the lives” of other people on the road.
Kuzio nearly died after a catastrophic Southdale Road crash Jan. 6, 2022 that killed Stapleton, 36, and left Kuzio, who spent a month in a coma, with lasting brain injuries.
Kuzio was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death in November 2024 following a five-day judge-alone trial in September.
Kuzio was speeding in a white BMW that was seen driving behind a white Nissan. Both cars were making quick lane changes through traffic in the city’s south end at about 5:30 p.m. The court heard the BMW was speeding at more than 100 kilometres/hour in an area with a posted limited of 60 km/h.
A London police officer spotted the car at Southdale and Montgomery and pursued it before losing sight of the vehicle when it approached Wellington Road.
The officer was dispatched moments later to a collision at Southdale Road and Dulaney Drive. Kuzio appeared to have lost control of the BMW and entered the westbound lane, striking a Dodge Avenger head-on.
Stapleton, who was heading home after work and getting ready to celebrate her 37th birthday the following day, was killed in the crash.
The driver of the Nissan was never identified or found.
Tranquilli said the conviction for dangerous driving causing death can attract a wide range of sentences, from a conditional sentence to penitentiary terms in the double-digits.
Stapleton’s family said they wish Kuzio had received a stiffer sentence.
“It should have been more. There was no remorse from him at all,” Stapleton’s mother Lisa Stapleton said outside of the courthouse Monday. “It will never end for us.”
“It’s never going to be enough,” said Chris Stapleton, Stapleton’s father.
The Crown was seeking a five-year prison sentence, plus a 10-year driving ban. Kuzio’s defence lawyer, Katie Heathcote, was seeking a sentence of two years less a day, served in the community with GPS ankle monitoring. The defence was also asking for three years probation and a five-year driving ban.
Tranquilli said Kuzio, who had no prior criminal or driving offences, has expressed sincere regret and remorse for the fatal crash, but that it fell short of taking responsibility for the collision.
She wished Kuzio well and encouraged him to pursue his goals of completing high school and becoming a mechanic.
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