An Edmonton man has pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death in connection to a crash that left a 43-year-old woman dead last February.

The plead-out came at what was supposed to be the start of Christopher James Dew's trial. Last February, the victim, Charlene Brown, was walking northbound on the sidewalk at 128 Avenue and 127 Street when she was struck by a vehicle.

The court heard that Dew had more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he fatally struck the woman.

Brown died at the scene. Dew had already written a letter of apology to the victim's family, but the victim's daughter said the recurring theme was how good of a person he was.

"An apology should have been an apology and he shouldn't have tried to make it about himself," said Leeann Monkman.

The Crown is asking for a two-and-a-half-year sentence, with the defence seeking a two-year sentence.

Dew's lawyer told court how his client was a successful infantryman in Canada's army, with a future goal of humanitarian work to help feed the world's impoverished people.

But none of that matters to the grown children of the woman he killed.

"People take people's lives and the sentences seem so short compared with having to deal with a loss for the rest of your life," said the victim's son, Shawn Brown.

Both of the victim's children sobbed openly in court as they read their victim impact statements. Both say they plan on becoming volunteers with MADD.

A decision will be handed down Thursday afternoon.

With files from David Ewasuk