Matt Sutton’s advocacy for widowed client praised in Toronto Star public editor column

Thomson Rogers LLP Partner Matthew Sutton is being recognized again in the Toronto Star, this time in an opinion piece that credits him with helping bring his client’s story of loss and delayed justice to the paper’s attention.

A widow still waiting for answers

At the centre of the coverage is the November 2024 Brampton crash that killed Santhosh, husband of Sutton’s client Preetha Varma. The driver, Mitchel Hunter, was later charged with stunt driving under the Highway Traffic Act and also faces criminal charges, including dangerous driving causing death.

Nearly two years later, the criminal case has not reached trial, leaving Preetha’s civil claim on hold. While out on bail, Hunter was charged again with stunt driving in an unrelated incident, reinforcing Preetha’s frustration that little has changed.

The role Matt Sutton played in getting Preetha’s story told

What this opinion piece by Public Editor Donovan Vincent makes clear is that Preetha’s story reaching the Star on August 24th wasn’t incidental. After the paper ran a brief item in May 2026 on Hunter’s second stunt driving charge, Sutton reached out directly, pressing for a fuller account of what his client had been through and how long her case had been stalled.

That outreach led to the in-depth feature on Preetha’s experience, highlighting that a lawyer, moved by his client’s ordeal, took the initiative to make sure her story was told properly rather than left as a passing news item.

Asked what struck him most about Hunter driving again after the fatal crash, Sutton didn’t mince words: “I ask myself what I would do if I was him. I think I would feel PTSD getting behind the wheel. So, for him to go out and get in a car and start to participate in

this behaviour (stunt driving) again, is so inherently wrong,” It’s the kind of reaction that captures why he pushed so hard to get Preetha’s story in front of readers in the first place.

Matt Sutton’s approach to advocacy and accountability

Being recognized by the Star’s public editor underscores Matt’s approach to advocacy: one that extends beyond the courtroom and uses public accountability when the legal process moves slowly.

It also reflects why clients trust him in difficult moments. Matt’s willingness to push for Preetha’s story to be told speaks to a genuine commitment to justice and accountability.

Read the full coverage

• Read our original feature: Matt Sutton Demands Justice in Toronto Star for Widowed Client as Driver Still Roams
• Read the Toronto Star opinion piece: The recklessness of stunt driving deserves sustained attention
• Read the original Toronto Star news feature: Wife grieving after Brampton crash as man charged rearrested

Matthew Sutton is a Personal Injury Lawyer and a Partner at Thomson Rogers LLP. Matt is listed in the peer-reviewed publication Lexpert®, and can be reached at 416-868-3187 or by email.

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About Thomson Rogers LLP’s Personal Injury Group

Thomson Rogers LLP is a Toronto-based law firm with almost a century of experience representing plaintiffs in personal injury, medical malpractice and civil litigation matters across Ontario. The firm’s Personal Injury Group is recognized as a leading Ontario personal injury practice, known for standing with clients through the hardest moments of their lives.