By Bre McAdam

Sentencing for Saskatoon teen involved in deadly crash

Jan 8, 2015 | 4:17 PM

Sentencing is underway for an 18-year-old girl who pleaded guilty in connection to a car crash that killed two Saskatoon teenagers and severely injured another.

The girl’s identity is protected by a publication ban because she was 17 years old when it happened on May. 5, 2014. She and the 21-year-old driver, Cheyann Peeteetuce, were intoxicated when they stole a truck and ran a stop sign at the corner of 22nd Street and Avenue M South in order to get away from a police cruiser. J.P. Haughey and Sarah Wensley, both 17, were killed while driving to track practice.

Court heard, through an agreed statement of facts, that the girls stole the truck from the Royal Bank on Avenue C after a man said he unknowingly left his keys inside while his window was down. Later that night, a police officer noticed the truck and started following the girls for several blocks without activating his sirens and lights. When he did, the truck immediately sped off in a cloud of smoke.

The officer stopped when he saw the girls run a yield sign at the intersection of 21st Street and Avenue M, but the truck continued, running a stop sign at the 22nd Street intersection going around 90 km/hr. According to the facts, the youth told Peeteetuce to “just go” in order to get away from police.

A different car initially hit the truck, which then t-boned the teen victims’ car, pushing it across several lanes of traffic and into a nearby house.

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Haughey and Wensley died instantly. A third teen, Kara Mitsuing, survived but was left with a broken femur, knee and pelvis. She also told the court how she was left with haunting memories of a truck suddenly barreling towards her, and the loss of two friends.

“I will always live for them,” she said during her victim impact statement. Her mom told the court how her daughter has feelings of guilt, questioning why her friends died but she survived.

Marilou Haughey looked right at the girl who played a role in her son’s death, her voice trembling as she described losing her son and best friend. For a moment the 18 year old looked back, wiping tears from her eyes.

Haughey told the court that her son’s death hurts so much “sometimes I want to run away and hide.” She stopped reading from her statement, turned to Judge Albert Lavoie, and pleaded for justice.

“I am here to fight for J.P.’s justice, and I will fight until the end of my life,” she said.

 The Crown and defence are both asking for a three-year maximum youth sentence which would include one year of custody and community supervision followed by another year of probation. The girl would also receive a 12-month credit for time spent in custody.

Judge Lavoie will make his decision Thursday afternoon.

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