Nearly five years after a diabetic driver’s dangerously low blood sugar levels resulted in the deaths of three people, an Ontario ombudsman has released a list of 19 recommendations for the Ministry of Transportation. The original report came about because relatives of two of the people killed asked for new guidelines regarding diabetic drivers.
In the summer of 2009, a man tested his blood sugar, and after finding it low, he ate a cookie or cracker and then got behind the wheel of a car. He hit and killed an 81-year-old cyclist and then ran into the back of a car carrying a newlywed couple. The couple and their dog were killed as well. The man received a suspended sentence and now has a 10-year prohibition on driving, and he must serve 240 hours of community service and three years’ probation following his conviction for three counts of dangerous driving causing death.
Although Ontario has required doctors to report patients with medical conditions affecting their driving to the Ministry of Transportation since the late 1960s, this is reportedly often not enforced. In this case, the driver did not appear to be under medical supervision. Furthermore, following the trial, he drove for an additional 18 months. The recommendations in the report deal with better ways to track and deal with diabetic drivers, and the Ministry of Transportation is planning to adopt them all.
The families of the deceased are reportedly pursuing a civil case against the driver. After fatal motor vehicle accidents, a lawyer may be able to assist families in filing a suit that will seek damages for funeral expenses as well as emotional suffering and lost income in some cases.
Source: TheSpec.com, “Hamilton man with low blood sugar should never have been behind the wheel“, Susan Clairmont, April 30, 2014
