A 42-year-old woman who was reportedly speeding and distracted allegedly caused a one-car accident that inflicted serious injuries on a man mowing a lawn by a rural road. She is scheduled to be sentenced in an Ontario Court after she pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. Recently, the man who was injured in the accident explained that he does not want the driver to be incarcerated. The defence lawyer for the woman agreed and said that she made a mistake, is sorry for her actions and has no criminal history. She also expressed her regret during proceedings.
The auto-pedestrian accident happened on June 19, 2013, in Niagara Falls. The woman was behind the wheel of a Ford Escort and reportedly speeding when the car spun out of control and landed upside down in a ditch after hitting the man.
The man was seriously injured. He was hospitalized for 10 days at one facility and then relocated to a different hospital where he endured two operations. Doctors were worried he might lose his leg, and remained on long-term medication for the injuries he suffered. Reports stated that he had not been able to go back to work.
The judge hearing the case delayed sentencing to May 12 after listening to conflicting arguments from the Crown and the defence lawyer. The prosecution is seeking a two- to three-month jail term while the defence wants probation, a suspended jail term and a driving prohibition.
After a serious accident, an injured party may decide to file a personal injury lawsuit. In this case, a personal injury lawyer might be able to help the man pursue compensation for the out-of-pocket medical costs and lost wages that resulted from the crash.
Source: Fort Erie Times, “Accident victim forgives distracted driver“, Tony Ricciuto, March 27, 2014
