Article content

The three young girls screamed at Chris Galletta to slow down as he sped along Fernbank Road with the gas pedal pressed to the floor in the moments before the fatal crash.

As Galletta pulled out to pass two cars on the narrow stretch of rural road at 9:21 p.m. on Sunday, June 18, 2017, then-17-year-old Sommer Foley noticed the speedometer reading 140 km/h and rising.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Chris Galletta found guilty of dangerous driving, criminal negligence in 'reckless' fatal crash Back to video

Her friend Maddie Clement, also 17, clutched her hand in the back seat and told her, “I love you, take care of my child.”

Those were her final words, an emotion-filled courtroom heard Thursday as a judge found Galletta guilty of dangerous driving and criminal negligence causing death.

The 2007 Chevy Cobalt struck the gravel shoulder at 183 km/h, more than 100 km/h over the posted speed limit, flipped over in front of horrified motorists and skidded 32 metres through dense brush before coming to rest. Emergency responders would have to extricate all four young people.