Sask. woman sentenced to 6 years for drunk driving crash that killed mother and daughter
Police found nearly empty bottle of wine in back seat of Brittany Barry’s truck
A woman who drove the wrong way on a divided highway and crashed head-on into an SUV, killing the two women inside, will serve a six-year prison sentence.
Brittany Barry, 33, pleaded guilty to drunk driving causing the deaths of Laura Hannah, 53, and Jamie Hannah, 20, and injuring her own two children that were in the vehicle with her.
The collision happened Oct. 19, 2024, at about 9:45 p.m. CST on Highway 11 near Dundurn, about 35 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.
According to an agreed statement of facts presented in court, mother and daughter Laura and Jamie Hannah died on impact when Barry's truck slammed into their vehicle.
Barry's two children both suffered injuries, including a fractured spine and broken leg, requiring one of them to be airlifted by STARS air ambulance.
Barry told officers at the scene, "I didn't drink that much," but officers said they could smell the alcohol on her breath and when they searched her truck, they found a nearly empty bottle of red wine in the back seat.
Barry failed a breathalyzer test at the scene, and at the RCMP detachment, her breath samples showed she had a blood-alcohol level two and a half times greater than the legal limit.
At a court appearance in January, Barry's lawyer Brian Pfefferle said Barry was going to plead guilty to a lesser charge of dangerous driving causing death, but on Friday, Barry instead pleaded guilty to drunk driving causing death and drunk driving causing bodily harm.
Victim impact statements
The courtroom at Saskatoon provincial court was packed on Friday with family members and friends of the victims.
Reanne Hannah, daughter to Laura and sister to Jamie, described the trio as best friends who became especially close-knit after her father died in 2016.
"They were my entire life," said Reanne in court.
"I'm a strong believer in justice and I believe the price you pay for your actions is important and well deserved. I hope that you make it through all of this with God by your side. I can't yet tell you that I forgive you, but I hope to someday."
Laura's partner Ron Krause remembered the two women as kind, caring, beautiful people in the world.
"You, Brittany [Barry], killed my partner Laura and her daughter Jamie and forever changed my life," Krause said to Barry.
Barry didn't say anything in court, but she had written a statement that the judge read aloud.
She said she was "profoundly sorry" she took the lives of two people and injured her own children.
"It has been 146 days for you all without Laura and Jamie and I think about this every day. Why did two individuals who did not do anything wrong be the ones most harmed by my actions? Why did they die and not me?"
She said she wanted to plead guilty as quickly as she could to save the family from going through a trial.
Outside court, family members gave a statement to media commemorating Laura and Jamie Hannah.
"Laura and Jamie were two people full of life and that potential is gone," said Laura's sister Karen Seinen. "It's an unspeakable loss."
Family members wore shirts that said "coffee and gratitude" on them.
"A few years ago, she [Laura] started sharing coffee and gratitude [posts] on social media," said Seinen.
"The shirts are a tribute to her and Jamie."
Judge's decision
The Crown and defence jointly recommended a six-year prison sentence and seven-year driving prohibition.
Judge Bruce Bauer accepted the joint submission.
"The nature of this offence is such that the sentence imposed must deter others from committing these types of offences," said Bauer.
"Communities lose far too many lives to those who drink and drive."
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