By now, you’ve probably run into someone familar - within one degree of separation - to either the victim or the perpetrator. Last weekend, early Saturday morning to be precise, 26-year-old Thomas Vernis, owner of Santos restaurant in the Old Port, hit François Dumouchel, alias DJ Euterke, and killed him in a hit and run. Euterke means muse in Greek.
Vernis, who is the son of Old River’s founder Edouard Vernis, was arraigned at the Montreal courthouse Monday afternoon on a charge of hit and run causing death. He faces charges in a fatal hit and run case that could land him anywhere from 2 years to life in prison. Some are suspecting that he might get a sentence on the lower end of that range when he appears in court in August. In the meantime, Vernis was released on $5,000 bail, with the condition that he cannot drive a vehicle and must give up his driver’s licence. He is also ordered to stay home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., unless absolutely required to be at work. Clubs close at 3am in Montreal.
The 36-year-old Francois Dumouchel was struck and killed at the corner of St-Laurent and Villeneuve. Vernis’ SUV hit his scooter, threw Dumouchel several metres. Vernis, meanwhile, kept going with his SUV, dragging the scooter for six blocks. Allegedly, he got out of his SUV on Esplanade and Rachel to get rid of the scooter. If you are familiar with the city, you know that’s a couple of blocks northbound, a couple West. Vernis was arrested hours later in Old Montreal, at Santos.
The cops didn’t bother to give him a breathalizer, because this was way after the fact, and his results would have been tainted; when was he drinking? Before the hit and run, or afterwards, when he emerged at his bar.
Anyway you dice it, this is sad. People don’t wake up thinking: I’m going to plow through someone on a scooter. On the other hand, no one deserves a death like Dumouchel’s either… who allegedly was sent off by his girlfriend/wife as he crossed that fateful street corner where he met his fate.
Vernis’ fate remains to be determined, according to a story in the Montreal Gazette:
Victor Carillo was parking his car on Villeneuve at the time of the accident. In an interview at his home, he stood up from his couch and pointed to the ceiling to show how high the man flew off his scooter before landing on the sidewalk.
“He was bleeding from his head and his ears,” Carillo said.
He said strangers immediately started giving the man mouth-to-mouth and pumping on his chest.
The driver of the SUV almost hit his wife, who was standing on the sidewalk as the vehicle sped off with the scooter underneath, Carillo said. He said she ducked behind their car and recorded the licence plate number of the SUV and gave it to police.
“If you hit a dog, you stop,” Carillo said. “This guy hit someone and didn’t even slow down.”
Montreal criminal lawyer Marc Giroux said the crown could charge the man with manslaughter, but it is unlikely.
“It’s tougher to prove manslaughter than hit and run causing death, for sure,” he said. In order to show manslaughter, the crown would have to prove that the driver was driving fast with the intention to kill someone.
This being the age of social media, the entire episode leaves a trail of sorrow across the Web. A quick search for Dumouchel lands you on his professional profile on LinkedIn, the popular social networking website that connects employees and employers. When he was not DJing, he was helping the Laurentian bank step into the 21st century, apparently.
Closer to his passion, Dumouchel - who went by the DJ Euterke handle - also had his YouTube page. Since his tragic passing, friends and fans have been leaving their condolences and best wishes on his Facebook page.
Vernis on his end is no stranger online, either. Apart from the countless of stories on mainstream media sources since the incident, he conducted an interview talking about his background and his new restaurant. Catch it on Veoh, or the popular French social networking site Daily Motion:
Notice that the comments on Daily Motion have been disabled; the comments are enabled on Veoh, and understandably, unkind to the 26 year old.
This all begs the question: why. Why didn’t Vernis just stop? Was he drinking? Maybe. Who knows. And based on the events that took place, maybe we will never find out. Vernis is slated to appear in court in August… but instead of leaving you on that somber note… let’s sign off on something worthwhile, an impressive and memorable appearance by Dumouchel at the popular Mont-Royal haunt Patro Vys, enjoy.
Euterke - may you Rest in Peace.
Vernis - may God have mercy on your soul.