BY KEITH LACEY
The decision of drunk driver to run a red light had devastating results for himself, but could have been catastrophic for many other innocent users of the road.
Robert Camillo, 29, pleaded guilty to impaired driving Wednesday at the Sudbury courthouse for his involvement in running a red light and hitting a fuel tanker on The Kingsway in the early morning hours of Sept. 24, 2004.
Camillo suffered a broken orbital bone, broken jaw, fractured hip and serious bruises and cuts and only recently returned to work more than eight months after the incident court heard.
Blood samples taken by doctors while Camillo was in hospital undergoing emergency surgery indicated he had more than three times the legal amount of alcohol in his system at the time of the incident.
It was only through good fortune that the female passenger in Camillo's car of the driver of the fuel tanker was not injured, said assistant Crown attorney Andrew Slater.
Slater told the court witnesses saw Camillo run a red light at the corner of Barrydowne Road and The Kingsway and run directly into the fuel tanker, which was proceeding northbound towards North Bay on a green light.
Witnesses who ran to the scene told police Camillo's passenger admitted they had been drinking and she had tried unsuccessfully to convince him to not drive home, said Slater
.
However, Camillo insisted on driving and told her he thought he'd have no problem beating the tanker through the intersection.
Defence counsel Berk Keaney said Camillo has only a minor criminal record dating back many years and has no history of drunk driving or bad driving and has already paid a serious penalty for making a terrible mistake.
His client has suffered through terrible physical injuries that will probably effect him for the rest of his life, noting Camillo's eyesight was damaged, but is getting better with the passage of time, said Keaney.
In all the circumstances, a substantial fine and suspension of driving privileges beyond the mandatory 12 months would be an appropriate penalty, said Keaney.
Slater agreed, but noted there are numerous aggravating factors, not the least of which were the dangerously high blood alcohol readings and the fact a serious accident occurred.
The fact Camillo hit a fuel tanker should not be considered an aggravating factor, but there's no doubt the potential for disaster was there, he said.
Justice Guy Mahaffy agreed the proposal of a $1,500 fine and 18-month suspension of driving privileges was an adequate sentence under all the circumstances.
Considering the numerous serious injuries Camillo has suffered, there's nothing the court could do to discourage this particular driver from ever again considering getting drunk and getting behind the wheel, said the veteran judge.
