Nova ScotiaThe man who struck a Halifax university student in a fatal hit and run last winter while driving approximately 126 km/h in a 50-km/h speed zone has been sentenced to four years in prison.Deepak Sharma previously pleaded guilty to three charges in death of Alexandria WortmanGareth Hampshire · CBC News · Posted: Sep 22, 2025 6:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoMan sentenced in fatal Halifax hit-and-run caseDeepak Sharma was sentenced to four years in prison. Gareth Hampshire has the story.The man who struck a Halifax university student in a fatal hit and run last winter while driving approximately 126 km/h in a 50-km/h speed zone has been sentenced to four years in prison.Deepak Sharma was led away by sheriffs after Judge Christine Driscoll accepted a joint sentencing recommendation from Crown and defence lawyers on Monday in Halifax provincial court.Driscoll said the offence could not be more grave, referring to the devastating impact Sharma’s actions have caused the family and friends of Alexandria Wortman.The 21-year-old Dalhousie student was hit in a marked crosswalk at a four-way stop at Jubilee Road and Vernon Street in central Halifax on the evening of Jan. 27 while walking home from campus. Crown prosecutor William Mathers pointed out that Sharma did not stop and continued to drive with the young woman still on the windshield of his vehicle, coming to a halt only when he struck a parked vehicle further down the street at Jubilee Road and Robie Street.Sharma had been fleeing from a previous collision on Jubilee Road where he rear-ended another vehicle but then drove away as the other driver attempted to exchange insurance information.”It was senseless and avoidable and if there is a takeaway from this, I think we as a community need to stop treating driving as a right, not a privilege,” Mathers said outside court.During the sentencing hearing, Wortman’s family and friends shared how her loss has created unimaginable pain.They remembered her as a compassionate person with a big heart who brought people together.Her parents and brother stood to read victim impact statements, all wiping away tears as they spoke.”The pain is unbearable, constant, suffocating and life-altering,” said her mother, Susan Wortman.Alexandria Wortman, 21, was described in victim impact statements as a person with compassion who cared for others and brought people together. (Cobb’s Funeral Home)Her father said life will never be the same.”I am a shell of my former self,” said James Wortman. “I don’t sleep at night. I struggle to find a reason to get out of bed.”The victim’s brother, Jay Wortman, said he is also struggling to function.”No words can truly describe how it feels to lose a sister,” he said.The family, from New Brunswick, and a number of other relatives and friends described feeling as though they were living in a nightmare. Sobs were audible throughout the packed courtroom as the victim impact statements were presented.When given the opportunity to speak, Sharma stood and said he still cannot explain his behaviour that evening but insisted he did not go out with the intention of a “joyride.”Flowers are shown at the four-way stop where Alexandria Wortman was hit at Jubilee Road and Vernon Street in Halifax. (Gareth Hampshire/CBC)Sharma, who was 32 at the time, agreed his actions were “senseless” but could not say why he chose to drive at speeds he described as “insanely dangerous.”He said he is “sorry for the pain and suffering” he has caused.Sharma was originally charged with manslaughter but pleaded guilty in July to one charge of criminal negligence causing death and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident.”What the Crown was trying to achieve here was a speedy resolution that would allow Miss Wortman’s family to try to move forward and achieve whatever peace they can without having a trial looming over them for years,” Mathers said outside court.Sharma had previous driving offences that were noted by the Crown, including two speeding tickets in New Brunswick and a stunting conviction in Nova Scotia. Just months before the fatal crash, he also received a ticket for exceeding the speed limit by at least 31 km/h, Mathers said. Sharma will be banned from driving for 10 years after he serves his sentence.ABOUT THE AUTHORGareth Hampshire began his career with CBC News in 1998. He has worked as a reporter in Edmonton and is now based in Halifax.
Man who struck Halifax university student in fatal hit and run sentenced to 4 years
