Reckless driver sentenced to 8 years in prison

[projekktor id=’22334′]

It was a crime that shocked the city of St. Catharines. Seventeen months ago, 69 year old Betty Taylor was killed two blocks from home by a reckless driver who then fled the scene. Today, that driver from Brampton was sentenced to eight years in prison on a conviction of criminal negligence causing death.

The driver that killed Betty Taylor, even though he was out on bail for a previous dangerous driving offence. It was July 5th, 2014. Betty Taylor left her son Bill’s house to walk the few blocks home. It was 4 in the morning, minutes later she called bill to say she could see Niagara Regional Police cars on Welland Avenue. “I heard screeching tires and then the phone went dead. I knew something was wrong, so I got dressed and got on my bike and rode up to the scene of the accident, where I recognized my mom’s hair and her coat.”

Betty Taylor, a grandmother and great-grandmother had just been pushed through the plate glass window of Pilgrims Meats by a pickup truck that hit her at more than 100 kilometres an hour.
“And I looked over to the left and saw her little cart she used, her laundry cart. And I just yelled mom, and threw down my bike.”

Betty was killed by 30 year old Pirasath Aiyathurai of Brampton. Minutes earlier OPP tried to stop him on the 406. He fled up the Fourth Avenue ramp and onto Welland Avenue. When he saw the Niagara Police cruisers up ahead he made a sharp turn right into the path of Betty Taylor and Pilgrim’s Meats. He backed the pickup out of the building and fled on foot. “It’s the senselessness that’s so difficult to absorb. And especially when we can see in aiyathurai’s case he did have a history of trying to run from police.” said Crown Attorney, Holly Nickle.

This man has a lengthy criminal record for obstructing police and driving dangerously. An eerily similar incident occurred in Brampton a few years ago. He fled police and smashed up his car. He was prohibited from driving and out on bail for a previous dangerous driving offence in a pickup he didn’t own.

“This was an individual who was putting himself above everybody else in society. It mattered not who he was putting in harm’s way. His desire was to get away from the police to protect himself
first.”

Aiyathurai got an eight year prison term. A lengthy sentence by Canadian standards. “I don’t think it’s long enough, we should have stiffer punishments for crimes like this.” Betty Taylor suffered multiple internal injuries, including a lacerated heart.

“He had no compassion for her life or even try to help her in any way. Sorry, it’s just really hard to know someone cold do that to a human being and have no compassion to help her or call 911.”