I had to blink twice before the reality set in. I didn’t believe what my eyes were seeing.
I’ve never seen a person get run over and dragged a few metres by a vehicle, then see the person responsible for such a catastrophe continue on their way as though they were out for a Sunday afternoon drive.
It all happened while I was stopped at a red light one night and saw a vehicle speed right through.
I was about to react to the reckless driving when, to my disbelief, the driver struck and drove over a young woman who had just stepped off the snowy curb and onto the street.
I watched in horror as the vehicle continued to drive full speed ahead, dragging the girl underneath for a few metres before she was able to free herself. She lay motionless on the snow-covered road.
That horror turned into disbelief as the vehicle continued down the road, leaving me in a state of shock that someone would just drive away.
The man was eventually located in the area and charged with a host of offences, including dangerous operation causing bodily harm, criminal hit and run and impaired operation of a motor vehicle.
While the accused tries to determine what kind of a plea he should enter when he appears before a judge, the young woman will spend the next year recovering in hospital from multiple fractured and broken bones.
She was simply crossing the street at a marked crosswalk when her life changed in the blink of an eye thanks to the actions of drunk driver.
Since then, images of that night have played repeatedly in my mind — the girl lying broken on the street is especially haunting; seeing the taillights of the vehicle drive away from her body sends chills down my spine.
Even though it was no surprise, it angered me to learn alcohol was involved, which left me with several questions. Was he even aware he had struck a human being? Would he have plowed into me had I been stopped in that lane? Who else could he have hurt?
I can’t help but wonder if the events would have unfolded much differently if there had been a sober person behind the wheel.
Then, the young woman would be spending Christmas with her family instead of in a hospital, broken from head to toe, while the person responsible for her injuries reflects on his actions from a night of having one too many drinks and getting behind the wheel.
