HAVANA — A Canadian mother detained in Cuba after a traffic accident killed her three-year old son two days before Christmas is finally being allowed to go home to bury her only child.
Justine Davis and her son, Cameron, were on a motor scooter when she collided with a truck along a dirt road. It seemed she swerved to avoid a pothole at the same time the truck was coming around a blind curve.
The toddler, Cameron, was pronounced dead at the scene.
While his body was sent back home to Canada, his funeral has been postponed until this Saturday in the hopes that the mother would be home to attend.
Davis, who was also injured in the crash, has been in a Havana hospital for the last six weeks while Cuban police investigated to determine whether she caused the accident. Officials announced Thursday night that she would be able to go home.
Under Cuban law, Davis could have been charged with vehicular manslaughter.
But according to a Facebook page friends and family of Davis set up, the 29-year-old mother was never charged.
Supporters used that Facebook page and an online petition to “put pressure on the Cuban government to release Justine Davis” in time to attend her son’s funeral services set for this Saturday. The petition had gathered over 9,000 signatures.
On Wednesday, for the first time since the accident, Justine had a visit from a consular officer with the Canadian Embassy in Havana.
Later, it was announced that Davis would be allowed to go home.
“I personally appealed to Cuba to request help on Ms. Davis’s case on compassionate grounds,” tweeted Lynne Yelich, Canada's Minister of State.
“Pleased to relay that Ms. Davis is free to leave Cuba. We appreciate Cuba’s efforts to resolve this situation.”
