Mother of teen accused in fatal Saskatoon crash shocked court allowed him to leave while 'so high'

A mother is questioning how her son was allowed to leave a Saskatoon court room after he made an appearance Wednesday morning while she said he washigh on drugs.

The 17-year-old is being held on charges he breached conditions of an earlier release. Police saydangerous driving causing death charges are pending the collision Wednesday afternoon that claimed the life of a 70-year-old man.

• Man, 70, dead following multi-vehicle crash on Circle Drive in Saskatoon
• Police say 17-year-old driver suspected of hit and run, hitting curb, before fatal crash

"He is so highHe was slurring. He was foaming at the mouth. He was slobbering," the mother said, describing how her son looked at the court appearance.

"They asked to speak with me and they said, asked me, 'is your son high?' And I said, 'yes'. I said, 'but he needs help'."

The woman who can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act due to her son's age thought that her son might be arrested in the court room, as using drugs would have violated the conditions he was meant to adhere to.

The mother said she and her family were shocked when the boy's court appearance was adjourned and he was allowed to leave.

Trying to get her son help

"My son is a drug addict," the mother said without reservation.

The only person that betrayed [my son] today was the court house.- Mother of 17-year-old accused of dangerous driving causing death

According to the woman, her son had gotten clean and was on the honour roll at his school before he had relapsed earlier this year.

The teen had been struggling all summer, relapsing several times before breaching his probation, which led to Wednesday's court appearance.

The mother said the judge decided to adjourn the appearance due to her son's state.

"We were shocked," she said.

"The only person that betrayed [my son] today was the court house. All of them. All of the workers that seen him. Each and every one of them. That's who I felt betrayed him and let [him] down, and that other poor family."

Called to the hospital

The woman was at a family member's house when police reachedher to say her son had been in a collision.

The mother went to the hospital to see her son.

"And he kept asking about how those other people [were doing]. He said, 'Mom, I asked and they won't tell me.'"

When she found out someone had been killed, the mother broke down crying.

"He broke down. He couldn't believe it."

The mother said her son was arrested at the hospital and charged with not only dangerous driving causing death, but breaching his conditions due to his drug use.

"After a man's life was lost and a head-on collision, and other lives could have been lost, they breached him after he did that. They didn't breach him in the court house, they didn't breach him at all, they didn't try to get him in detox like I wanted."

The mother said she wishes she could have gotten her son the help she feels he needs, but said the wasn't able due to how the court process went.

The teen made a brief court appearance in Saskatoon on Friday morning. Defence requested areport to explore treatment options.

The accusedwas remanded into custody. He is scheduled to appear in court next Wednesday.