A Niagara Falls man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a drunk driving crash that killed a woman and severely injured her adult daughter, a tragedy that ended the victims' dreams of a new life in Canada mere months after their arrival from Somalia.
A Night That Ended in Tragedy
On the evening of November 16, 2024, John Franco Bonaldo, then 32, met friends at a restaurant. According to evidence presented at the Ontario Court of Justice, he consumed six pints of beer over four hours before getting behind the wheel just after midnight.
Minutes later, his vehicle struck Dahiro Hussein Hasan and her daughter, Fadumo Cali Aden, as they walked across an intersection in Niagara Falls. The mother and daughter had arrived from Somalia in January 2024. Ms. Aden had found work as a night-shift laundry attendant at a local hotel, and her mother faithfully escorted her to the job each night.
Flight from the Scene and Arrest
Justice Joseph De Filippis detailed the horrific aftermath in a decision dated January 5, 2026. The collision threw Ms. Aden approximately 13 meters, and she slid another four. Ms. Hasan was thrown about seven meters off the roadway. She was killed instantly, while her daughter sustained life-altering injuries.
Bonaldo did not stop. He continued driving for roughly 300 meters before turning onto another street and crashing into two parked cars, which disabled his vehicle. When police arrested him, he smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking. Several empty beer cans were found in his car, including one at the driver's feet. A breathalyzer test at the station later showed he was over twice the legal limit.
Justice Served with a Heavy Sentence
Bonaldo pleaded guilty to impaired operation causing death, impaired operation causing bodily harm, and failure to stop after an accident knowing that death had been caused. The Crown sought an eight-year sentence, while the defence argued for six years.
In his ruling, Justice De Filippis agreed with the Crown, calling the recommendation a "measured response." He emphasized the grave nature of the crime, stating, "Every drunk driver is a potential killer. That this does not happen in most cases of drunk driving is simply a matter of chance." He noted that those who take this chance and harm others, especially those who flee, "will pay a heavy price."
The judge also highlighted the profound loss, noting the victims' dreams were shattered within ten months of starting their new life in Canada. In addition to the prison term, Justice De Filippis handed Bonaldo an eighteen-year driving prohibition.
The sentence serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of impaired driving and the severe penalties awaiting those who choose to drive under the influence and flee the scenes of their crimes.
