Man, 71, charged with impaired driving after killing two young women in head-on crash

Seventy-one-year-old Austin Deir of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, has been charged in the death of a fatal crash that claimed the lives of two young women earlier this year.

Deir was charged on July 18 and appears in court on Sept. 26 in Clarenville. He is charged with two counts each of dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving causing death.

The collision occurred on the Trans-Canada Highway near Arnold’s Cove on Jan. 21, 2024. The 22-year-old passenger died at the scene and the 22-year-old driver died a week later in hospital.

Clarenville RCMP say Deir was driving a grey Chevrolet Equinox SUV when he crashed head-on into a white Hyundai Elantra. Deir was rescued from his burning SUV by bystanders who came upon the crash.  He showed signs of impairment and received serious injuries.