The family of a father killed when his motorbike was struck by a car has launched a petition calling for a new law requiring individuals convicted of causing the death of another in a vehicle collision to take on the financial responsibility of raising the victim’s children.
The petition, titled ‘Justice for Victim’s Children in Vehicular Homicide Cases‘, was launched on 18 Oct., by the family of Shemaiah Grant, 31, who was killed on 2 May 2021. The driver of the vehicle that struck him, Jordan Telford, 39, was convicted and sentenced to four years and seven months in jail after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
His family says Grant left behind four children, aged 14 years and under.
During the sentencing hearing, the family told the court that they faced a $39,000 bill for medical and funeral expenses, and asked for Telford to compensate them. However, the court chose not to make such an order, saying Telford, who was unemployed at the time, did not have the financial means to make such a compensation.
“This petition is not only for Sham’s case but for the other incidents where lives have been taken due to inconsiderate people,” wrote Grant’s sisters, Leah and Adah Grant, in the petition’s post.
They continued, “The Justice System need[s] to stop letting the offenders get off just because they do not currently have a job or insurance to compensate for the damages they have caused, especially when they choose to disregard the law.”
The family says they presented the motion to the PACT-led administration last year, but “there has been no headway in getting it passed”.
Within hours of the petition launching, more than 250 people signed, with several calling for the petition to be elevated due to its importance.
Similar legislation has been introduced in the US state of Tennessee. Ethan’s, Hailey’s, and Bentley’s Law requires drunk drivers to pay child support to the families of the people they kill, up until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school.
That law, which has since been dubbed the ‘DUI child support law’, was passed in Tennessee in July last year and came into effect in January.
Related Videos
