According to court records, the preliminary hearing for Brian Machado, 28, and Stephen Machado, 22, is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 24 in Brampton court. The hearing will determine if the Crown has enough evidence to warrant a trial.
The brothers will be in court Sept. 23 to confirm the hearing date.
Police have seized an Audi and a BMW in connection with the case, under provincial legislation enacted last year aimed at alleviating street racing and aggressive driving.
Both men are out on bail, with conditions that include a ban on driving.
The brothers each face two counts of criminal negligence causing death in the seven-vehicle crash last Oct. 6 on Hwy. 50 in Brampton that killed best friends Cynthia Dougherty, 49, of Beeton, and Maria Dalsass, 44, of Palgrave.
Dougherty's husband, Derek, was in a car just ahead of the two women and witnessed the crash.
Witnesses told police two men - driving an Audi and a BMW - were speeding in excess of 140 km/h just after noon when one lost control, setting off a chain reaction in which three other cars careened across the road. The posted speed limit in the area is 80 km/h.
Dougherty and Dalsass were travelling in a Pontiac Grand Am, which was struck by another vehicle, causing an accident that also involved a truck and several other cars.
The lawyer for the brothers, Peter Brauti, called it a “tragic case where everybody is upset on both sides.”
Peel Regional Police believe street racing caused the crash.
“Nobody should be jumping to the conclusion at this point that this is a street racing case, because not all the facts are out," Brauti said.
lrosella@mississauga.net
