Red Deer man avoids 2nd trial after guilty plea to lesser charges in crash that killed teen
The Canadian Press | Posted: February 20, 2018 5:26 PM | Last Updated: February 20, 2018
Court of Appeal overturned earlier conviction for impaired driving based on error by trial judge
A Red Deer, Alta., man who successfully appealed his drunk-driving conviction for a crash that killed a 13-year-old boy has avoided a second trial by pleading guilty to lesser charges.
Rodney Ross Arens, who is 40, was arrested after a July 1, 2010, collision in Red Deer that took the life of Jeffrey Chanminaraj and seriously injured the teen's older brother.
Following a lengthy trial in 2014, Arens was convicted of impaired driving and dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm and was sentenced to more than five years in prison.
The Alberta Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in 2016 after Arens argued that the trial judge erred by referring to Arens's refusal to provide a breath sample following the crash — even though a charge related to that matter was withdrawn.
A new trial that was ordered was to have started today, but court records show Arens pleaded guilty last October to charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and causing bodily harm.
He was sentenced to more than 2½ years in prison, but was given credit for time already spent in custody.