The victim's family isn't happy about it, but the Huron County man who hit and killed Jordan Moorehead won’t be going to jail.
William Krotz, 55, of Gorrie pleaded guilty to failing to remain at the scene of an accident under the Highway Traffic Act Thursday and was sentenced to a three month driving ban and a $1,000 fine.
Krotz was driving an Ideal Supply delivery truck along Highway 86 near Bluevale around 8:15 on the evening of Sept. 22 when he hit Moorehead.
The 27-year-old, who had recently moved to Wingham, was walking west on on the highway back to Wingham after his truck ran out of gas.
The court heard that Moorehead was walking on the highway near the white bike lane line when Krotz hit him with the mirror on of his vehicle, which stuck out about 29 inches from the side of the delivery truck.
Court also heard that Krotz did not stop until he reached Wingham, where he noticed his mirror was missing. He then emailed his boss to say he 'thought he hit a deer.'
Witnesses who were driving that night who also saw Moorehead say he was very hard to see, wearing all dark clothing, and that they almost hit him as well.
He suffered massive injuries from the collision and later died in hospital.
Moorehead's mother, Heather Thibodeau, read a victim impact statement in court.
She said, “We’re crushed. I still can’t sleep at night after four months.” She went to say, “Bill, you took something special from me, I hope you have remorse for us.”
As court ended, Krotz mouthed the words “I’m sorry,” to the family.
Outside court, Thibodeau said, “I don’t like the sentence. I think that he should have got a year suspension on his licence and a short time in jail. I also know that whatever happens, whatever he got, it [isn’t] going to take my pain away or please me in my heart.”
Moorehead's uncle, Paul Moorehead, says, “Even if you hit a deer, any normal person would stop, even to an injured deer, and her it happened to be my nephew and I still don’t have an understanding why he didn’t stop there and then.”
The Crown Attorney’s Office said that there was no reasonable chance of conviction of a more severe charge in this case, and this was a terrible tragedy for the Moorehead family.