Sentencing delayed for Barrie man in impaired crash case

Sentencing delayed in fiery impaired driving crash Sentencing has been delayed in the case of a Barrie man convicted of impaired driving causing a fiery head-on collision.

A Barrie man who admitted to impaired driving causing a fiery crash two years ago arrived at court Wednesday morning for his sentencing hearing, which has been delayed.

Dennis Stiles, 32, pleaded guilty in January to impaired driving causing bodily harm for the collision on Highway 26 near Strongville Road in Clearview Township on January 28, 2022.

The court had heard Stiles had methamphetamines in his system when he got behind the wheel of his Subaru and crossed into oncoming traffic, slamming head-on into another vehicle, causing it to burst into flames.

On Wednesday, the Crown corrected the court record, noting that it was Stiles' vehicle that caught fire and not the other driver's car.

The other driver, a woman who did not wish to be identified, was hospitalized following the crash, suffering from injuries to her back, shoulders, legs and head.

She arrived at the Barrie courthouse Wednesday, surrounded by loved ones, and prepared to give her victim impact statement, instead, Stiles' lawyer requested an adjournment to allow the court to review the recently prepared pre-sentence report before his client learned his fate.

Under the criminal code, the maximum sentence for a summary conviction for impaired driving causing bodily harm is two years less a day.

Stiles is scheduled to return to court later this month to set a new date for his sentencing hearing.