BY KEITH LACEY
Although he lost a leg and a great deal of quality of life, John Martin is happy to be alive. He came too close to dying after being hit by a drunk driver last December.
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John Martin didn?t wear his prosthetic leg to the sentencing yesterday because he wanted the drunk driver to ?see what he did.? |
?I honestly thought I was going to die that night?I?m very fortunate to be here,? said Martin, 55.
His leg was severed in the horrific accident in Valley East 10 days before Christmas.
Robert Roy, 30, of Chelmsford was sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary Thursday for criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
After the sentencing Martin spoke about how his life has been changed forever because of one young man?s
decision to drink booze and get behind the wheel.
Court heard Roy sideswiped the vehicle driven by Martin?s wife Debra.
When Martin got out and told Roy to turn off his car and wait for police, Roy attempted to escape. Martin tried to avoid being hit and ended up on the hood of Roy?s car.
With Martin ?hanging on for dear life?, Roy took off from the scene and sideswiped a second car. He kept going and hit a third vehicle head-on.
During the frightening ordeal, Martin was face to face with Roy through the windshield and pleaded repeatedly for Roy to stop the car.
Roy?s response was to go faster and ?give me the finger,? said Martin.
His right leg was caught between two vehicles and the upper half of his right leg was ?hanging on by a thread.?
He was bleeding profusely when police and ambulance personnel arrived on the scene.
Roy took off and was observed by an attentive off-duty police officer walking along Highway 69 N. far away from the scene.
Roy pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene of an accident and criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Following Roy?s pleas of guilt, numerous charges, including impaired driving causing bodily harm, were withdrawn by assistant Crown attorney Len Walker.
Court heard Roy had been drinking and his blood alcohol readings at the time of the incident were between 1.5 and twice the legal limit allowed in Canada to operate a motor vehicle.
After Justice Robert Del Frate imposed the three-year penitentiary term and prohibited Roy from driving for five years, Martin approached a tearful Roy in the courtroom and told him he forgives him for his actions.
He told Roy he hopes he does well while incarcerated and hopes Roy has learned a valuable lesson and will become a good citizen after his release.
Outside the courthouse, Martin, surrounded by his wife Debra and daughter Crystal, told members of the media how he hopes no other family is devastated because of the deadly mix of alcohol and driving.
?I hope this sends a good clear message about drinking and driving,? said Martin. ?I would hate to see another family have to go through what we?ve been through in the past year.
?It?s been very difficult and a tough adjustment (living life with only one leg).?
He said he doesn?t believe Roy is ?a bad man,? but one who made a terrible decision to drink and drive and then
panicked realizing he was going to get caught. ?I just wanted to tell him that he?s still a young man and I hope he does well and comes out of prison a better man,? said Martin.
Despite the physical pain, the most difficult aspect of living life without his leg is being unable to do things with his five grandchildren.
Until this incident, he spent much of his free time ?canoeing, moose hunting and walking for miles?and I just can?
t do those things anymore. I have problems moving around and this really limits me.?
Martin?s eyes welled up with tears when talking about his grandchildren.
?That?s the really hard part, not being able to play with my grandchildren,? said Martin. ?I used to be able to run all over and play with them and now I have to tell them I can?t and some of them don?t understand why.
?It?s been very difficult in that aspect.?
If it wasn?t for the quick action of Const. Dave Beck of the Greater Sudbury Police Service, Martin is convinced he would have died that night.
It was Beck who applied pressure to the area near his severed leg and cut off much of the bleeding by wrapping a tourniquet around the injured area, said Martin.
?I owe my life to him?and I know I wouldn?t be here speaking to you today without his help,? said Martin. ?I was in very rough shape when I was brought to the hospital?I believe he should be commended for what he did to help me.?
Martin refused to wear his prosthetic leg to the sentencing hearing.
?I wanted him to see what he did to me,? said Martin. ?I forgive him and he knows that, but I wanted him to see me without my leg.?
It?s his hope people who read about this incident might think twice before considering getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
?Please stop drinking and driving??What does it take, what does it take??
