A 17-year-old boy accused of striking and killing a 70-year-old man in a vehicle crash Wednesday should have been detained hours before it occurred, according to family members of the teen.
The boy is an addict and was in court Wednesday, according to family members. They said his mother pleaded to have him kept in custody, but he was instead released and later crashed into the man on Circle Drive near 108th Street.
“He should have been detained, he was swearing, he was high,” said the boy’s aunt to reporters. His identity cannot be revealed since he’s a young offender.
“This is a result of what went on after he left the court house.”
READ MORE: Saskatoon police searching for erratic driver prior to deadly Circle Drive crash
The boy was driving northbound when he struck a piece of construction equipment, crossed the median and hit a southbound car, according to authorities. He faces charges of breaching probation and undertakings; however driving charges are still being investigated.
One of the boy’s two aunts who spoke to reporters on Friday said his mother “was stating her son needed help for his addictions and it was like nobody was hearing her.”
“It should be easier for parents to put their kids into treatment and not go through all the loopholes that they have to,” said a second aunt who spoke on behalf of the family.
The boy briefly appeared in Saskatoon provincial court on Friday, where a bail report was ordered by the judge to explore treatment options. Court records show that the teen has a pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in the past.
“You have to commit more crimes to get help, to get treatment and we’re frustrated,” said the boy’s aunt after the appearance.
READ MORE: Man killed in crash on Saskatoon’s Circle Drive
They also expressed their grief for the relatives of the 70-year-old man who lost his life in the crash.
“We feel bad … we can’t sleep, we keep on crying, we keep on thinking about this family,” said one of the boy’s aunts.
“”We … as a family want to say sorry.”
The boy is expected to appear back in court on Sept. 14.
WATCH BELOW: Saskatoon police searching for erratic driver prior to deadly Circle Drive crash