SASKATOON – Robert Major is headed to prison after being sentenced Friday for the February 2016 crash that killed his two sons and girlfriend.
Major, now 40, was sentenced in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench to five years. With credit for time he has already served, he has 43.5 months left remaining, or three years and six months. He was also given a seven-year driving prohibition once he is released, and ordered to provide his DNA to the National DNA Data Bank.
According to court documents, all seven people in Major’s truck were trapped for hours before emergency personnel could free them. Major’s sons, four-year-old Brenden Major and nine-year-old Theodore Cardinal, and his girlfriend 26-year-old Kimberly Oliverio, were killed. Three others sustained severe but non-life-threatening injuries. Major sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No one was wearing seat belts at the time of the collision.
On Feb. 22, 2017, a year to the day after the fatal crash, Robert Major posted his sons' photo and said: “Gosh I miss u guys so much today was one of the hardest day but every other day is as hard to I wish I could time back to the 22 of last year and change what happen or let god take me instead I wish that every day of my life u guys where way to young to go him very sorry my beautiful boys I will never forget u guys like I said that day a big piece of me left whit u guys to heaven to one of this days the rest of me will be whit u guys again can't wait till that day.”
On that day, he also posted Oliverio’s photo and wrote: “To my love Kimberly I miss u so much my love him so sorry for what happen to u u where one of the best thing that ever happen in my life I will always love my boo and never forget u my love one day we will be back together can't wait for that day I know u be watching my boys till I come up there my love.”
On July 7, 2016, five months after the deadly crash, Major posted a photo of a cross at the site of the collision, and said, “I miss so much Theo and Brenden and I love u guys too love dad. Kimberly Oliverio I miss u so much baby and I will love u for ever my love.”
In July 2017, days before what would have been Oliverio's birthday, Major wrote: "Happy bday my love was nice to come and seen u my boo I know our whit me in spirit my love I wish I could of traded place whit u I wish that everyday.”
The deadly crash
According to court documents, on Feb. 22, 2016, Major drove his 2012 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck at a high rate of speed and broadsided a semi-truck that was hauling two trailers loaded with vehicles on Highway 16 near Langham. The impact from the crash threw the semi-truck into the north ditch, ripped the box off Major’s truck and embedded its cab off the ground into the semi.
Court documents reveal that the stop sign from RR 3083 to Highway 16 was missing at the time. It had been knocked down the previous week and wasn’t standing the day of the collision. Major had testified that he knew there was a stop sign at the intersection and was looking for it as he was driving but when he saw the semi-truck it was too late.
Supreme Court of Canada orders new trial
In March, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the Sask. Court of Appeal’s decision to order a new trial for Robert Major. In January 2019, he had been sentenced to seven years in prison following a jury trial in Saskatoon. In December 2019, he was released from prison pending his appeal.
Instead of taking the case to trial again, Crown prosecutor Andrew Clements and defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle reached a joint agreement, and on Oct. 6, Major was sentenced on six counts, including three counts of dangerous driving causing death and three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
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