Alliston Herald

Cynthia Dougherty, seen here with her husband Derrick, was killed in a chain-reaction collision on Thanksgiving weekend in 2007.

Lives 'ripped apart' by accident court hears

Beeton/Palgrave women's husbands tell of impact of deaths

BY Bob Mitchell, Toronto Star January 21, 2010 13:01

BRAMPTON - A Thanksgiving weekend crash that killed two women also forever ripped apart the lives of their family members and close friends, a court heard Wednesday.

Best friends, driver Cynthia Dougherty, 49, of Beeton, and passenger Mariarosa "Mar" Dalsass, 44, of Palgrave, died instantly in the multi-car crash on Highway 50 in Caledon on Oct. 6, 2007.

The women's husbands, Derrick Dougherty and Murray Dalsass, fighting back tears, each explained to a Brampton court how the deaths of their wives, who are buried side by side, have impacted their families.

The tragedy even touched Dalsass' neighbour's dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Miller, who still waits by the backyard gate for "Mar" to come home.

Steven Machado, 25, of Mississauga, pleaded guilty on July 28 to two counts of criminal negligence causing their deaths.

His brother, Brian Machado, 29, has yet to stand trial for his alleged role in the seven-car, noon-hour pile-up that ripped apart Dougherty's 1995 Grand-Am.

Justice Bruce Durno will hear sentencing submissions Feb. 24.

Loved ones described how Thanksgiving has become a day of sorrow instead of celebration, and how neither woman will celebrate future weddings, go on holidays or attend joyful family and friend functions.

Dougherty's husband Derrick was driving ahead of the women after meeting them at a Tim Hortons when he saw his wife's car "explode into pieces" from a sideview mirror.

He didn't initially realize they were dead and called Murray to tell them about the crash.

When Murray arrived and saw a tarp over the mangled vehicle, he said he knew they were gone and dropped to his knees in tears. He had to tell his friend their wives were dead, not unconscious.

"The crash scene looked like a war zone," Derrick said. "They went through hell in the car. They never had a chance."

"I had no opportunity to say goodbye or tell her I loved her," said Murray, who continues to battle sleepless nights and depression.

Police said the brothers were speeding up to 140 km/h when the younger driver went onto a gravel shoulder to pass a dump truck and lost control.

Court previously heard Steven Machado's Audi and his brother's BMW were travelling faster than the posted speed limit of 80 km/h when the Audi clipped the rear of Dougherty's car, sending it across the southbound lanes directly into the path of a northbound pickup truck.

The pickup truck hit the front passenger side of the Grand-Am, instantly killing the two women.

Steven's Audi continued south in the northbound lanes and side-swiped a Volkswagen Touareg, which was then rear-ended by a Jeep Cherokee. The Audi was eventually side-swiped by a northbound tractor-trailer.

Although Machado didn't speak during the hearing, his apology was filed as an exhibit.

"I wish I could have gone back to that day and have done something to sacrifice myself so that others would not have been harmed or died," he wrote.

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