Cyclist faces life sentence, driver goes free

RE: VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER NOT GUILTY IN HIT AND RUN CASE THAT LEFT CYCLIST PARALYZED; MAY 10

In response to the above article, Daniel (Craig) Millar is my husband of nearly 38 years. We had lived a very happy, fulfilling and active life until July 26, 2016.

On this day, Craig was airlifted to a trauma unit. His injuries included a collapsed lung, two bleeds in his brain, five broken ribs, a broken vertebrae, broken pelvis, ruptured spleen, torn ACL and many lesions and contusions.

He was resuscitated three times and at one point was vital signs absent for 12 minutes. He was in hospital for over six months.

Craig is now paraplegic.

He cannot walk.

He has lost all bowel and bladder function, suffers daily with neuropathic pain, is now highly susceptible to skin ulcers, diabetes and obesity.

He cannot get out of bed each morning without help.

He had his drivers licence suspended until he learns how to drive a modified vehicle.

We had to move out of our home as it was not accessible, nor could it be easily modified.

We can no longer visit our own children in their homes.

The Superior Court judgment summary states that the driver could only see two feet ahead of his vehicle due to sun glare. Yet, he continued to drive at 70 to 80 km/h regardless, as was determined during the trial.

How many more cyclists and pedestrians have to endure catastrophic injuries or die before our Ontario laws change drastically and drivers are punished more severely and are held accountable so that they will actually start taking precautions?

My husband is now serving a life sentence in a wheelchair.

Alison Welch-Millar

Niagara Falls