Woman pleads guilty to impaired driving in crash that killed Saskatoon family

SASKATOON – A Saskatoon woman has admitted to impaired driving in a highway crash that killed a couple and their two young children.

Catherine McKay, who remains in custody, appeared in provincial court on video and pleaded guilty to four counts of impaired driving causing death.

A sentencing hearing is to be held July 27.

Police said that McKay was driving an SUV that struck the family’s car as it crossed Highway 11 just north of Saskatoon on Jan. 3.

Jordan Van de Vorst, who was 34, and his 33-year-old wife, Chanda Van de Vorst, died at the scene.

Five-year-old Kamryn and her two-year-old brother, Miguire, died in hospital.

“Ms. McKay, certainly through my dealings with her, has basically taken full responsibility for this,” defence lawyer Leslie Sullivan said outside court Wednesday.

“I know from my discussions with her she was very anxious to achieve this and get to this point.”

Jordan Van de Vorst worked as a microbiologist at research company Phenomenome Discoveries, which said after the crash that more than 50 people had received transplants through organ donations from the family.

McKay, listed at the time as executive director of the Saskatoon Sports Council, was also an active member of the city’s wrestling community.

(CTV Saskatoon, The Canadian Press)