Watch above: A day after a second person pleaded guilty in the impaired driving deaths of two Saskatoon teens, the family of one victim speaks out. Meaghan Craig sat down with them to discuss their loss and find out what their message to others is.
SASKATOON – Their pain is palpable. It’s unbearable and endless.
“When I really really want to hug him, I come down here” said Marilou Haughey as she enters into her son’s bedroom. “I grab his clothes and just hug him, then I can smell him and that’s why I don’t want to wash it because that’s my last thing from him.”
“He went and picked them up and they were just on their way to track to field when this happened,” explained Alex Haughey, James’ father.
What happened next resulted in this horrific scene at the intersection of 22nd Street West and Avenue M.
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MORE: Two teens dead after stolen truck crashes in Saskatoon
James and his friend Sarah Wensley, both 17, were killed that day and a third teen in the backseat was seriously injured after the vehicle James was driving was slammed into by a stolen truck fleeing police.
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“The day they killed James, they killed us, they killed us. James is our life, our world,” said Marilou who hasn’t put up their Christmas tree this year, a tradition she shared with her son.
Both Marilou and Alex have started to go back to work part-time and explained that prior to their son’s death they worked opposite shifts so one of them could be at home at all times if he needed them.
Living day-by-day, both agreed that the day their son died, their life sentence began.
Cheyann Peeteetuce, 21, the driver of the truck at the time of the crash, pleaded guilty on Dec. 3 to seven charges including two counts of dangerous driving causing death and will be sentenced on March 11, 2015.
Within a span of a week, the 18-year old passenger, who was 17 at the time and cannot be named, pleaded guilty to five counts on Dec. 10 and will be sentenced in January.
Both accused have a history of stealing vehicles.
“They should have kept them, remanded and put them into program and rehabilitated them that’s the time to do it, not wait until it kills somebody,” said Alex.
“I want the justice system to do their job properly and I want them punished to the full extent of the law.”
The Haughey’s are also critical of the Saskatoon Police Service and say proper procedures were not used the day of the collision.
On Thursday, the police service was not in a position to comment, aside from what is already on the record, stating no violations in protocol were made that day.
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