As the family of Sherryanne and Leo Paul Regnier made funeral preparations Tuesday, they hoped for justice for the man charged with their death, Leo Paul’s brother Ronald Lacelle said.

“I have sympathy for his family, but no sympathy for him,” Lacelle said. “These are innocent people. They weren’t doing anything wrong but living.”

The family arranged a funeral service for the couple next Monday in Cornwall during a long, gruelling day Tuesday filled with meetings with lawyers, funeral home directors and each other, Lacelle said.

“We’re a team and we’re going to make sure we get closure for everybody.”

The husband and wife, both 35, were waiting for a bus on Albert Street after a movie Thursday night when they were struck by a speeding car.

Leo Paul Regnier died at the scene and Sherryanne Regnier died in hospital early Monday morning after suffering multi-system trauma, including a severe head injury.

Lacelle said the couple had a Thursday date night tradition of dinner and a movie that kept their marriage strong. “That’s probably why they lasted until the end,” he said.

Charges against the 20-year-old man accused in their deaths were upgraded Tuesday after Sherryanne Regnier’s death. The original charges of criminal negligence and dangerous driving causing bodily harm were upgraded to causing death.

In total, Simon Banke faces four criminal charges: two counts each of criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing death.

Under the Highway Traffic Act, Banke faces a newly legislated charge requiring young drivers to be alcohol-free when they get behind the wheel, as well as a charge of stunt driving.

Lacelle said the Regniers’ large extended family had flocked to Ottawa and many were planning to take extended leaves from work to look after family affairs and care for the couple’s orphaned children. The Regniers had three daughters: Sarah, 15, Jessica, 13, and Isabella, 9.

Lacelle said family members were working hard to keep the girls’ minds off the tragedy.

“They are surrounded by loving family and really, we’re not giving them a whole lot of time to think about anything except for how much we love them,” he said.

Former colleagues of Leo Paul Regnier at Transport Canada set up a trust fund for the three girls on Tuesday. Donations can be made to the Regnier Girls Trust Fund at any Ottawa BMO branch.

“This trust fund is a small gesture of support, from the Transport Canada family to the Regnier girls,” Transport Canada Deputy Minister Yaprak Baltacioglu said in a statement.

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board spokeswoman Sharlene Hunter said Tuesday that the young girls’ schools “are hurting for them.”

Hunter said the board has been taking its cues from the family, and that teachers and other staff at the affected schools have been made aware of the situation.

Help with returning to school, dealing with homework and more have all been offered. Hunter also said fundraising efforts are likely in the future, though only after the family has had time to make decisions about it.

The visitation and funeral service will be held at M. John Sullivan funeral home at 341 Pitt St. in Cornwall. Visitations are scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sunday and the funeral service is scheduled from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday. The commital will take place at 10:30 at Notre Dame Cemetery.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Funeral+service+vcitims+speeding+held+Monday+Cornwall/3558612/story.html#ixzz10Gr6uzHU

OTTAWA — Upgraded criminal charges are pending against a 20-year-old man accused in a fatal crash on Albert Street Thursday after a woman who was injured in the crash has died.

Sherryanne Regnier, a 35-year-old mother of three whose husband was killed in the crash, died early this  morning at about 2 a.m. after suffering what paramedics called “massive” head trauma.Nicolas Ruszkowski, vice-president of communications and public affairs at The Ottawa Hospital, said he was notified of Regnier’s death sometime overnight.She and husband Leo Paul Regnier’s three now orphaned daughters — aged 10, 14 and 15 years old — are being well cared for, a source close to the family said. The crash occurred at 10:34 p.m. Thursday at a temporary bus stop on Albert Street just west of Bank Street. It was drizzling rain at the time, and the roads were wet. Sherryanne’s husband, Leo Paul Regnier, 36, died at the scene after being pulled out from under the black Nissan sports car that struck the two of them after making a left turn off of Bank. Family of the Regniers were scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to begin making funeral arrangements.After the crash — as Sherryanne fought for her life in the trauma unit at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic campus — Simon Banke, 20, was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and bodily harm, criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm, and stunt racing. He was also charged under new legislation requiring young drivers to be alcohol-free when they get behind the wheel. Banke appeared in court over the weekend to face the charges. A crowd of about 30 young supporters showed up in the courtroom’s public gallery, where his bail hearing was scheduled for Friday. Police said Monday that an upgrade in the charges laid against Banke was pending, but would not provide further details. The Regniers lived with their children on Paul Anka Drive. They met in Cornwall — where most of his family remains — while they were students. At the time of the accident, Leo Paul worked for Transport Canada while Sherryanne worked at a call centre. They had moved to Ottawa about 10 years ago when Leo Paul took the job. Before the Nissan made its left turn and jumped the curb Thursday night, the couple and friends of theirs had been waiting for a bus. They had just seen a film. The rear-wheel-drive 1992 Nissan 300ZX coupe is a right-hand-drive vehicle. Transport Canada began a review of such vehicles in 2006, prompted by growing safety concerns about right-hand-drive cars.Last year, Quebec became the first province to temporarily ban further imports of the vehicles due to safety fears.

The OTTAWA Citizen reported— A solemn-looking Simon Banke appeared in court Saturday to face criminal charges that he ran down an Ottawa couple at a downtown bus stop Thursday night. The lean 20-year-old with short, blond hair, who had hopes of becoming a Mountie, was escorted by police into the prisoners’ box in courtroom No. 5 shortly after 9 a.m., wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans. He is charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and bodily harm, criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm and stunt racing. He also faces charges under new legislation requiring young drivers to be alcohol-free when they get behind the wheel. Court records show he was fined in July 2009 for speeding on Bank Street. Banke glanced at about 30 mostly young supporters in the courtroom’s public gallery and was attentive as lawyers and a justice of the peace set Friday, Sept. 24, for a bail hearing. He remained stone-faced throughout the hearing, exhibiting no sign of tension over his predicament. The crash killed Transport Canada employee Leo Paul Regnier, 35, who was standing at the Albert Street bus stop, just west of Bank, with his wife, Sherryanne, and a friend at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. Sherryanne Regnier, 35, continues to fight for her life at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital, where she remained in critical condition Saturday night.

The Paul Anka Drive couple has three daughters, 10, 14 and 15, who are the centre of their lives. “They were always together,” said Karen Regnier, Paul Regnier’s half-sister in Cornwall, where he and Sherryanne met while in school. “No matter when you talked to them, it’s their kids, they’re so proud of the children,” who excel in music, art and dance, she said.  The family moved to Ottawa from Cornwall about 10 years ago when Paul took a job at Transport Canada as a computer programmer/analyst. Sherryanne worked at an Ottawa call centre, Karen Regnier said. “He was a very happy-go-lucky fellow, he loved music. He worked days and she worked nights to be with the kids. They were just family-oriented.” They were returning home from a movie Thursday night.

Witnesses said the Regniers, their friend and three others were waiting for a No. 87 bus when a black 1992 Nissan 300ZX coupe barreled around the corner from Bank on rain-slick pavement. The driver lost control of the rear-wheel-drive Japanese GT, which then jumped the curb and hit the Regniers. The car in question is a right-hand drive vehicle. In 2006, Transport Canada began a review, prompted by growing safety concerns about right-hand drive cars. Last year, Quebec became the first province to temporarily ban further imports because of safety fears.

An Ottawa couple with three young daughters were having a night out on the town Thursday when they were mowed down by a speeding car as they stood waiting for a bus.

Leo Paul Regnier, 35, was killed and his wife, Sherry, remains in hospital in critical condition.

A 20-year-old man, who had hopes of becoming an RCMP officer, faces several charges in connection with the horrific crash, including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and bodily harm, criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm and stunt racing.

Simon Banke also faces charges under new legislation requiring young drivers to be alcohol-free when they get behind the wheel.

He is to appear in court Saturday morning.

According to court records, Banke was previously fined for speeding on Bank Street south of Rosabella Avenue.

News of Regnier’s death made it to Cornwall, where most of his family lives, early Friday morning.

Regnier’s twin sister was awakened by a knock at the door at 5:30 a.m. Two hours later, the family gathered at the home of the victim’s step-sister, Karen Regnier.

Three of Regnier’s siblings in Cornwall then left for Ottawa. By Friday afternoon, relatives from Sarnia, Owen Sound, Cornwall, Kitchener and Kingston began to make their way to Ottawa.

So far none of them have been allowed to see Sherry, who remains in critical condition.

“We’re all still waiting. It’s just a waiting game. We don’t even know what’s happening right now,” Karen Regnier said.

Leo Paul Regnier has worked with Transport Canada as a programmer/analyst for 10 years.

The department issued a statement Friday, describing Regnier as a man with a “good humour, amiable nature, strong work ethic, and excellent skills.” Stephanie Lachman, who used to worked with him at Transport Canada, said Regnier was “teddy bear of a guy” and always wore a hockey jersey.

Another colleague, Daniel Pratte, said Regnier was always making people laugh in the office.

“When they say it’s always the best ones who leave first, he is the perfect example,” he said.

Regnier’s colleagues were given access to a counsellor Friday morning.

The crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. as the couple and a friend waited for the No. 87 bus at a temporary OC Transpo stop on Albert between Bank and Kent streets.

Barry Horeczy, an editor with Postmedia News, said he had just finished work and was waiting with about six other people at the temporary stop.

A black two-door Nissan 300ZX hatchback sportscar that he and another witness had earlier seen headed north on Bank Street turned on to Albert at Bank and appeared to lose control, Horeczy said.

The Nissan jumped the curb not far from the intersection and struck the woman and man standing about two metres away from him.

Horeczy rushed to the unconscious woman, now lying on her stomach, he said.

But the car kept going, breaking through a barrier and crashing into an abutment.

Horeczy said the driver of the car, who was unharmed, got out of the car and said: “I don’t know what happened. I can’t believe I lost control.” Only minutes before, Stephan Telka had stepped off a bus not too far away on Bank Street and saw a black sportscar speeding down the road.

“It definitely stood out as noteworthy,” he said. “We realized it could have easily been one of us if we were at the wrong place at the wrong time.” The Nissan 300ZX hatchback sportscar involved in the accident is a right-hand drive vehicle. In 2006, Transport Canada began a review, prompted by growing safety concerns about right-hand drive cars.

In 2007, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia tallied the number of collisions involving right-hand drive cars. The study found a 40 per cent higher accident rate, compared to left-hand drives.

Last year, Quebec became the first province to temporarily ban further imports of such vehicles because of safety fears.

Albert Street is a three-lane one-way westbound road normally. One lane has been closed to traffic with concrete barriers on either end.

A temporary sidewalk was built between the concrete barriers for people to wait for the bus.

A temporary bus platform was established in mid-June to service bus users while the city upgraded the nearby transitway station at Albert, just east of Bank Street. This is one of five downtown stations that are undergoing major improvements scheduled to be completed later this month, according to the City of Ottawa.

With files from Andrew Seymour and Joanne Chianello

mhurley@ottawacitizen.com