Watch Your Back!
OK. . . bear with me.
Just read these two news articles and then let's talk.
First Case Nov. 21, 2017
Driver found not guilty in crash that killed pedestrian and her dog - Toronto | Globalnews.ca
A man who struck and killed a woman and her dog on a Leslieville sidewalk in April 2015 has been found not guilty of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.
“If you’re going to walk on the downtown streets of Toronto maybe you should put a crash helmet on,” Kristy Hodgson’s grieving father John Hodgson said moments after learning the verdict.
“With a bicycle lane, with people walking on the sidewalk and everything, you don’t take your eyes off the road for a split second,” he added.
Story continues below.
In surveillance video submitted as evidence during the case, 31-year-old Kristy Hodgson can be seen walking her two beloved Whippets Indy and Betty on Dundas Street East, approaching Carlaw Avenue on a sunny afternoon.
Dashcam video shows pedestrian struck by vehicle in North York hit-and-run
Seconds later, a black Honda Civic driven by Gideon Fekre, who was 18 years old at the time, crosses a bike lane and mounts the sidewalk.
Hodgson was critically injured. She died a few days later in hospital. Her dog Betty, also killed.
Fekre claimed he was reaching for a water bottle that had fallen on the floor of the car near the brake pedal.
“I took my eyes off the road for just a second” is how Fekre himself described it in his testimony.
Justice Peter Bawden said the big question in the case is, “Was it a marked departure from what a reasonable driver would have done?” referring to the Fekre reaching for the water bottle.
How does that grab ya?
Now - case number two;
Jan 26, 2018
Charge stayed against driver of ETS bus that struck and killed girl, 13 - Edmonton - CBC News
On the evening of Nov. 26, 2016, 13-year-old Mariama Sillah was on her way to get a sandwich after leaving her northeast townhouse.
She was hit by an Edmonton Transit bus when she was walking southbound in a marked crosswalk across 137th Avenue near 40th Street.
The bus driver had been making a left turn from 40th Street southbound onto 137th Avenue.
At the time, police said the driver struck Sillah unknowingly and dragged her across the pavement. The driver didn't stop after the collision.
The charge against the driver was laid in December 2016.
Statement from Crown:
The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service issued a statement about the staying of the charges.
"A key duty of a Crown prosecutor is to continuously assess a case, ensuring that all aspects of the evidence are carefully considered at every stage of a prosecution," said Eric Tolppanen, assistant deputy minister, Alberta Crown Prosecution Service.
"In this case, the Crown's review of the evidence including witness statements, physical evidence and video of the police interview of the defendant revealed that it could not be proven that the accused was negligent while driving through the crosswalk."
Do you believe this? It's time to make changes to our justice system!
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If I Die
Don't get me wrong, I'm in no hurry to go. It would be nice to live to 100.
However, I have had a great life. More happiness, probably, than I deserve. I have been close to some of the best people on the planet. Parents and siblings of the highest calibre. A wife and son beyond compare. I have been inspired by close family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. I have seen amazing things and ventured far.
It has been wonderful and I could go now with no hard feelings.
So. . . if I die, celebrate me - don't grieve over me.
Just wanted to say that.
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