Dear Govenor Barbour,
My name is Jan Morgan. I live in Starkville and was the woman who, while riding my bicycle on May 22, was hit by a car being driven by Robbie Norton.
I was in a coma for 5 weeks, on a ventilator, had chest tubes in both sides for pneumothoraces, had a cardiac contusion, broken ribs and sternum, fractured fingers, fibulas and base of my skull.
I had massive head trauma with a bleed in my temporal lobe, a frontal lobe contusion, and multiple shearing injuries.
I developed serious pneumonia in both lungs. I also required a tracheostomy, central IV lines, an arterial line, and a PEG tube (a feeding tube place through my abdominal skin directly into my stomach) - for feeding.
After spending serveral weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at North Mississippi Medical Center I was transferred to Shepherd Rehab Center in Atlanta for a month. I was in the ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) unit. I finally was discharged home on July 26. I am currently receiving outpatient rehab therpy at the Quest Center in Jackson. My full recovery will take a very long time.
I have no memory of my stay at NMMC, and only the last couple of weeks in Atlanta. Since my return, I have been told of what happened to me. I have also learned that MS Norton has neither been charged with anything nor even recieved a ticket.
The DA Forrest Allgood has explained to my husband that no felony charges will be filed. My question is about misdemeanor charges, which the highway patrol has not filed.
a) Why were charges not filed for her violation of the “3-Foot Law”, where motorists are required to give cyclists 3 feetot space? She clearly was inside of that range when she hit me.
b) She did not have liability insurance. She did show an insurance card to the officer, but upon our verification, the insurance company informed us that she had failed to pay her premium and had been notified that her insurance was going to lapse, She was NOT covered at the time she hit me, and falsified information given to the officer.
c) She exited her car on a cell phone, looked at me on the ground in front of her car, and neither administered help to me, nor called 911. Instead she re-entered her car and ran over me again.
d) I am aware that, unfortunately, using a cell phone is not against the law in Mississippi, but Reckless Driving is (Mississipi Code of 1972, Section 63-3-1201). She was distracted and did not see me. I consider that reckless driving.
Governor Barbour, I have suffered greatly. My husband was heart-wrenched not knowing if I would even live. MS Norton has walked away from this with no penalty. This is wrong.
Can she at least be ticketed for something?
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you can either have some influence with the DA or Highway Patrol, or that you can explain to me why the Mississippi legal system is protecting MS Norton instead of me.
Sincerely,
Jan Morgan
this is just unbelievable. how can someone just walk away free and clear after that?
people need to know about this.
