Montreal

Man accused of killing 4 in Beauport, Que., car crash to plead guilty to impaired and dangerous driving

A man accused of killing four people and injuring two more in a car crash near Quebec City will be pleading guilty, his lawyers announced Thursday.

Éric Légaré was driving at 130 km/h when he collided with 3 other vehicles

Police arrested Légaré for impaired driving after a collision on highway Dufferin-Montmorency in Beauport, Que., on Sep. 2. (Frédéric Vigeant/Radio-Canada )

A man accused of killing four people and injuring two more in a car crash near Quebec City in September will be pleading guilty, his lawyers announced on Thursday.

As a result, Éric Légaré, 43, won't be facing a trial. His hearing, which he is expected to attend in person, is postponed until Dec. 14.

Légaré was driving at a speed of 130 kilometres per hour on the Dufferin-Montmorency Highway in Beauport, Que., when he collided with three vehicles that were stopped at a traffic light.

Four members of one family were killed in the crash: Emma Lemieux, 10, her half-brother Jackson Fortin, 14, their mother, Shellie Fletcher-Lemieux, 44, and their grandfather, James Fletcher, 68.

Éric Légaré's lawyer Vincent Montmigny spoke to reporters earlier this week. (Hadi Hassin/Radio-Canada)

Légaré's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the crash, and he also exceeded the legal limit for THC, a component of cannabis.

Légaré was charged with dangerous driving causing death and driving while under the influence. He faced a total of 19 charges.

Légaré has pleaded guilty for impaired driving before.

In 2017, he was fined $1,000 for the offence, and given a three-month ban on driving without an alcohol ignition interlock device. He also got eight speeding tickets that same year.

His sentence is expected sometime in 2022.

With files from Radio-Canada's Yannick Bergeron, Jean-François Nadeau and Sébastien Tanguay