Dear Editor:
RE: ‘Callousness,’ Oct. 12.
Before I begin, I just want to express my sympathy to Lucas Shortreed’s family and friends.
I too was appalled and very disappointed with the light sentencing of David Halliburton for the fatal hit and run of Lucas Shortreed in 2008.
Accidentally hitting someone who is walking in the middle of the road at night is plausible. However, the calculated and selfish callousness of hiding this, turned an accident into a crime.
When reading this case, one can presume that David Halliburton had been driving under the influence, as he even admits to “having a few beers” before driving home with his 11-year-old son. But that is not all.
The amount of deception David and Anastasia carry out following this motor vehicle crash is astounding:
– leaving the scene of the crash;
– fabricating a story about the crash to their son;
– hiding injuries to evade suspicion;
– not calling EMS for obvious life-threatening injuries to Lucas (no chance of survival);
– hiding the vehicle, changing license plates and switching VINs;
– intentionally contaminating and hiding evidence (bleaching car, hid it in trailer, etc.); and
– lying to police on multiple occasions.
And the list could go on and on. What was surprising to me was that his wife, Anastasia, collaborated. She could have done the right thing and informed the authorities. The sentence was so light for both.
The intentional deception in this case was staggering. The length of time for the truth to be found out ought to have dictated a longer sentence too. More resources and funds were spent trying to find the culprit(s) for those long 14-plus years.
As a member of the Wellington County community, I was expecting more: a 10-year jail sentence and a substantial fine to help recuperate funds and to help Lucas’ family in what his mom called an “emotional marathon”.
The time to reveal the truth should not by any means have given David and Anastasia a lighter sentence but ought to have lengthened it, due to the languishing years for the grieving family and community.
I hope we can restore faith in humankind to do the right thing even when it costs.
Evelyn McComb,
Harriston