Drunk driver who killed St. John’s man sentenced to three years, three months in jail
A St. John’s man who killed a man while driving drunk last year was handed a three-year, three-month sentence today.
Joshua Doyle Burt, 25, had pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing the death of 42-year-old Brad Kerrivan.
Just after midnight on April 3, 2022, Burt got behind the wheel of his pickup truck after drinking downtown and arguing with his girlfriend. He broke through a parking lot barrier, ran a red light and sped west on Pitts Memorial Drive. He exited the off-ramp at Ruth Avenue in Mount Pearl, but re-entered the highway in the wrong lane, heading in the opposite direction into oncoming traffic.
Kerrivan, who lived in Southlands, had been driving west on the highway, on his way to pick up his girlfriend at the airport. Burt smashed his truck into Kerrivan’s car head on. Kerrivan died at the scene. Burt was taken to hospital, where a blood sample was taken and later revealed a blood alcohol level over 2 1/2 times the legal limit.
The sentence was in keeping with what the Crown and defence had recommended, along with a five-year driving prohibition.
In handing down his decision, Judge James Walsh called it a senseless loss of life. He said because of Burt’s high speed that night, Kerrivan never had a chance to brake to even try to save his life.
NTV’s Rosie Mullaley will have more later today on the NTV Evening News Hour.