The diplomatic red tape holding up the return of an Ontario teenager from Cuba following a car accident this past spring has finally been removed, according to his uncle.
In an email to CTV News from Cuba, Gary Parmenter said Thursday that the family received a statement from Canadian consular officials in Havana: "The police in Minas have informed us that the hold departure order has been lifted."
Cody LeCompte of Simcoe is expected to return to Canada on Friday, the earliest he can get a return flight.
Cody, 19, was on vacation with his family in April when a dump truck struck their rental car. All four occupants of the car were injured.
Cuban authorities said Cody, who was driving, would have to stay in Cuba while authorities investigated the accident.
Cody signed a document Tuesday agreeing to return to Cuba to stand trial if necessary. He will learn at that time what, if any, charges he might face.
The situation has been costly for the LeCompte family. They have spent thousands on lawyers, hotel accommodations and telephone bills as the case dragged on.
Danette LeCompte, Cody's mother, told CTV News Channel on Wednesday that Canadian officials have worked hard to expedite her son's departure.
She said the prospect of a jail sentence has been traumatizing for her son.
"If that had ever happened to him, he would never come out the same," LeCompte said. "I was sick to my stomach. It was the most terrifying thing a mom could ever go through."
