I could not agree more with Paul Martin and his letter about distracted driving penalties.
On May 24, 2006, I was on North Dairy Road crossing Shelbourne Street on the green light. I was about halfway across the intersection when my car was struck by a southbound vehicle.
My car was spun 180 degree by the impact and a wheel was torn off.
The other driver, who was 100 per cent liable, told the police that he and his friends had been drinking beer and smoking dope. He took his eyes off the road, and when he looked back the light was red and I was in front of him and he could not stop.
I have a brain injury, have lost my foot due to a combination of stress and diabetes, and nerve compression which limits the use of my hands, etc.
I have since lost my home due to an inability to make mortgage payments and I am now destitute. My life has now been turned 180 degrees, like my car was in the accident.
What happened to the kid who was responsible?
A slap on the wrist, a 24-hour roadside suspension, and that is all he got.
I have often thought I would have been better off if I had been killed, because it would have spared me a lot of pain.
Paul Price
Saanich