The Medford community works diligently to protect pedestrians and even has "Pedestrian Enforcements" operations, which are designed to ticket drivers who do not yield in designated crosswalks. A mother and her children were not so fortunate in Marietta, Georgia. Raquel Nelson, 30, and her three children were crossing the road after exiting a city bus, and were subsequently stuck by a drunken driver. Nelson's 4-year-old son died from the accident.
Nelson was not using a designated crosswalk and was convicted of jaywalking, homicide by vehicle and reckless conduct as a result of her son's death. The driver that struck the family attempted to flee the scene, and served a scant six months in prison for the accident. Nelson was initially facing a three year sentence as a result of her conviction. In addition to her son's death, both Nelson and her daughter were injured by the driver, who admitted to both drinking and taking pain medication prior to driving.
Tuesday, Nelson was granted a retrial after an outcry of support from fellow parents and officials, deeming that Nelson has suffered enough after losing her child in the incident. Just prior to the news of a retrial, Nelson was facing probation and community service for a reduced misdemeanor charge of vehicular homicide; however, Nelson's counsel said she will "probably accept the retrial in an effort to prove herself innocent of this crime."
If you would like to learn more about Medford's pedestrian laws, city ordinances and find information on local parks, please take the opportunity to review the links below:
- City of Medford: Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee
- City of Medford: Parks and Recreation
- City of Medford: Ordinances and Laws
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