Sask. woman to plead guilty in fatal wrong-way crash on Highway 11

A Saskatchewan woman intends to plead guilty to four charges in connection with a crash that left two Alberta women dead in October.

The crash happened just before 10 p.m. on October 19 on Highway 11, about a kilometre north of Dundurn. According to police, a truck and SUV collided in the southbound lanes, with the truck going in the wrong direction – northbound in the southbound lanes – at the time of the collision.

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A mother and daughter from Alberta, ages 50 and 20, who were inside the SUV at the time of the crash were both declared dead at the scene by paramedics. Two children who were inside the truck driven by Barry were taken to hospital with what police described as “non-life-threatening injuries.”

Brittany Barry, a 32-year-old woman from the R.M. of Blucher, was arrested and charged with a lengthy list of offences in connection with the crash.

According to Saskatoon defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle, who is representing Barry in court as co-counsel, Barry announced on Thursday her intention to enter guilty pleas to two counts of dangerous driving causing death and two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

“We anticipate that the remaining charges will be disposed of on the day of sentencing,” Pfefferle said.

Barry is set to be sentenced on March 14, and Pfefferle said she will formally enter her pleas on that date in order to respect the family members of the victims, who will be traveling from Alberta in order to attend the hearing in person. Pfefferle said he expects that roughly 20 victim-impact statements will be read in court on that date.

Pfefferle said the announcement of a guilty plea came relatively quickly in this case, which he said was important in order to avoid drawing out the case while the families of the victims wait for closure.

“It was important for Ms. Barry and for her family to ensure this matter was dealt with quickly, primarily of course thinking about the impact this had on the deceased and their family,” he said.

“It won’t, obviously, heal wounds and won’t change the day in question, but it will hopefully let them have, at least, closure for this process that this doesn’t hang around.”

Pfefferle said the Crown and defence have agreed to a joint sentencing submission, and while he wouldn’t reveal the details, he said it includes both jail time and a driving suspension.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker