A woman from British Columbia has received a 14-day jail sentence for causing a crash that sent a motorcyclist to hospital for months.
The Revelstoke Review reports 47-year-old Shelley Hanson caused a motorcycle crash on Highway 3, near Hedley, BC, back in June 2017. Hanson pulled out in front of a motorcycle, which resulted in the rider colliding with her front tire. The fiery aftermath of the crash saw passersby drag the motorcyclist away from the flaming wreckage. He was airlifted from the scene, spent a month in hospital in BC, and another month in hospital in Alberta. The crown attorney said he had to learn how to walk again.
Originally, Hanson was charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm, causing an accident resulting in bodily harm and driving while prohibited. The crown attorney said there were problems with the prosecution’s case, and Hanson ended up pleading guilty to driving without due care and attention. She will serve her sentence intermittently on weekends, as she is a caregiver for her mother and needs to be available for that purpose.
The 14-day sentence was the result of a joint recommendation from the crown and the defense.
Reminder to us all ASSUME EVERY DRIVER ON THE ROAD IS THIS WOMAN.
That, and the fact the justice system DOES NOT CARE, are the two important takeaways here.
Pretty clearly she was already prohibited from driving, she was drunk and was entirely responsible for the accident. And the prosecution screwed up the case so they had to give her a wrist slap.
And the judge says “Looking at your record I am hoping that you are not driving anymore.” “Hope” is all he has? He’s the f**king judge. He should do whatever it takes to get this prohibited, drunk, careless, driver off the road.
WTF does it take to get these clowns off the road?
If I was to be prohibited from driving or convicted of DUI in my current position and wind up with a criminal record, I would lose my job, my livelihood and all of my professional accreditations. It would be the end of my career. So why is it that habitual offenders like this get off virtually scot-free?
Fire the prosecutor and everyone who screwed up the case. Give the judge a motorcycle and take away his car, so he now has appropriate motivation to Do The Right Thing when it comes to these repeat offenders.
Presuming the case reporting was correct, it does make one gasp and stretch one’s eyes, to quote Hilaire Belloc.
I can see how an impaired driving charge could be difficult to pursue, but driving under a prohibition is surely a yes/no answer? Either she was driving under prohibition, and the charge should be a slam dunk. Or she wasn’t, and then why would you lay it in the first place?
According to ICBC, “On a first conviction, there is a fine from $500 to $2,000 and the possibility of imprisonment for up to six months, or both” for driving under a prohibition.