January 4, 2026 | Halifax, Nova Scotia — Dalena Reporters
A Nova Scotia Supreme Court has sentenced Tyler Strong, a 27-year-old resident of the province, to 4½ years in prison for his role in a deadly traffic collision on October 21, 2023, that took the lives of three people, including a two-month-old infant, and left others seriously injured.
Justice Joshua Arnold accepted a joint sentencing recommendation from both the Crown and the defence, indicating a shared judicial view of an appropriate penalty given the circumstances of the case and Strong’s personal history. In addition to incarceration, the court imposed a five-year driving ban and a ten-year prohibition on owning firearms, both to take effect after he completes his prison term.
The tragic collision occurred on Highway 2 near Amherst, where Strong was travelling at an estimated 149 km/h in a 70 km/h zone on a rainy evening, more than twice the posted speed limit. Reports indicate he passed another vehicle on a solid line before T-boning a Mitsubishi crossover that was making a left turn, resulting in fatal injuries to three of its occupants and severe injury to a fourth.
In delivering the sentence, Justice Arnold acknowledged Strong’s “troubled upbringing”, noting evidence of significant childhood adversity and the defendant’s efforts toward rehabilitation. While the court accepted these mitigating factors, the sentence reflects the grave consequences of dangerous driving at excessive speeds that led to multiple deaths.
Victim impact statements featured prominently during sentencing, including a powerful account from Sara Gabriel, the lone survivor of the Mitsubishi collision, who lost her mother, partner and infant son in the crash. She described enduring “confusion, anger, loss and emptiness” and underscored the profound trauma inflicted on surviving family members.
The crash and its aftermath highlight ongoing concerns about road safety, excessive speeding, and the devastating human toll of high-speed collisions in Nova Scotia. The imposed sentence aims to balance principles of accountability, rehabilitation and public safety in the wake of a tragedy that profoundly affected multiple families and the wider community.