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Arens pleads guilty in fatal crash, avoids second trial

Feb 20, 2018 | 6:12 AM

A local man who successfully appealed his drunk driving conviction for a fatal crash in Red Deer pleaded guilty to new charges last fall, therefore skipping a second trial.

Rodney Ross Arens, 40, was arrested and charged following the July 1, 2010 collision at Kerry Wood Drive and Taylor Drive that killed Jeffrey Chanminaraj, 13, and seriously injured his older brother.

A lengthy trial took place in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench in 2014 where Arens was convicted of impaired driving and dangerous driving causing both death and bodily harm. He was sentenced to five years, nine months in prison, minus 185 days’ credit for time served in pretrial custody.

In 2016, the Alberta Court of Appeal quashed the conviction after Arens argued there was a miscarriage of justice when the trial judge referred to Arens refusing to provide a breath sample following the fatal crash even though a specific charge relating to it was withdrawn.

The appeal was upheld and a new trial was ordered. That trial was to begin today in Red Deer prior to Arens pleading guilty in October to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and dangerous operation causing bodily harm.

Arens was sentenced to 961 days in prison satisfied by time served.

In 2011, Arens was charged with breaching his undertaking by consuming alcohol. He was charged again in 2014 with two more breaches of a court order by consuming alcohol and operating a vehicle without an interlock system and was sentenced to 60 days in jail.

In December 2013, Arens was also charged with impaired care or control of a motor vehicle, obstructing an officer and resisting arrest, failing to comply with conditions and drug related charges after an incident in Sylvan Lake where he was found slumped behind the wheel of a running vehicle. A police search of that vehicle turned up cash, crack cocaine and some marijuana. He was sentenced to nine months in jail for the incident.