A jury in Red Deer has acquitted a woman charged with dangerous driving in a collision that led to the death of her mother.
Although Cherish Elsie Schutte, 24, of Canwood, Sask., admitted to driving a truck when it crashed with another truck at the intersection of Hwys 21 and 11 on Aug. 29, 2010, she was found not guilty by the jury shortly after 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Schutte agreed she was driving and was at fault, but she was found not guilty of the criminal charge of dangerous driving.
Her mother, Donna Ann Johnson, 47, of Parkside, Sask., died at the scene. She was a passenger in Schutte’s vehicle.
In his closing argument, defence attorney Eamon O’Keefe argued that Schutte was momentarily careless, but not dangerous.
After three and a half hours of deliberating, the jury returned to the Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench with the not guilty verdict.
The Crown and defence attorneys made their closing statements on Wednesday morning.