Arens pleads guilty in fatal crash, avoids second trial
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to Arens refusing to provide a breath sample following the fatal crash even though a specific charge relating to it was withdrawn.