Twice a victim
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007
By Chris Fitzsimon
Note to lawmakers: Stiffen N.C.’s hit-and-run laws
Consider the fate of Sean Patrick Armstrong, the driver who struck a bicyclist on Providence Road last February, then fled. Mr. Armstrong will serve up to a year in jail for his crime — the maximum North Carolina law allows.
His victim, Brian Hanley, remains in a wheelchair, re-learning how to speak, eat, breathe and even see. Besides a traumatic brain injury, he suffered a broken pelvis, leg and ribs, and spent weeks in a coma.
This kind of legal lenience is outrageous. The law ought to be changed. Tell state lawmakers you want hit-and-run laws reformed to mete out tough punishment for drivers who cause serious injuries and run away.
By the time Mr. Armstrong strolls out of jail, Mr. Hanley (if he’s lucky and works really hard) may be able to recall basic things like the house he used to live in. His injuries are too devastating to expect his life to return to normal ever again. A sparing sentence for hit-and-run dirvers is an incentive to flee and avoid responsibility. (more…)
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