Family of J.P. Haughey blames justice system for his death
Killed when stolen vehicle hit car he was driving
The family of a teenage boy who died when the car he was driving was hit by a stolen truck in Saskatoon is blaming the justice system for his death.
"The day they killed him, they killed us too," J.P.'s mother Marilou said. "I am lost. I am empty. I don't have life right now because they took him away. That could have been avoided from the very beginning."
J.P.'s father, Alex, said James — as his parents call him — would still be here if the woman hadn't been let out of custody.
"James and Sarah should be still here," he said. "They've destroyed their lives. This should not have happened. Had the justice system had done their job in the beginning and caught this instead of letting them out on the street — had them rehabilitated — this wouldn't have happened."
1 stolen vehicle, 2 teens dead
J.P. was driving two other Bethlehem High School students to track practice on May 5 when the vehicle was hit. His front seat passenger, Sarah Wensley, 17, was killed. A 16-year-old girl in the backseat suffered serious injuries but survived.
The officer followed that truck for a few blocks and then turned on the emergency lights. Court heard yesterday that the passenger of the stolen vehicle, an 18-year-old woman, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, encouraged Peeteetuce not to stop when police pursued.
Eighteen seconds later, the truck smashed into the side of a Malibu travelling eastbound on 22nd Street towards the downtown.
Guilty plea
The driver of the stolen vehicle, Cheyann Peeteetuce, pleaded guilty earlier this month to two counts of dangerous driving causing death. The 21-year-old will be back in court in March for the start of the sentencing process. She has been in custody since her arrest.