Once again, the justice system has failed to deliver a sentence that fits the crime.
The three-year jail term handed to Travis Fox in a Vernon courtroom Friday following a motor vehicle accident two years ago that claimed the lives of two of his passengers, including well-known local girl Paige Whitelaw, is far too lenient.
And these three-year concurrent terms for each life don’t make any sense. Maybe three years for each for a total of six would have given us more confidence there’s a serious price to pay.
From all accounts, Fox has shown incredible remorse, unlike many people we’ve seen brought up on such charges in recent years. But his actions that night were totally of his own doing and must bring significant consequences.
There needs to be a stronger message sent for having a high level of intoxication and then driving at an excessive rate of speed. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been at this for years, fighting for longer sentences for being behind the wheel while impaired and it doesn’t seem like it’s made much progress.
Where’s the deterrent? What about the victims, the family members left behind to deal with this terrible ordeal?
Fox obviously did not intend for this to happen, but it’s an example of how severe the outcome can be from having poor judgment.
We want others to learn from these types of mistakes, to maybe think about taking precautions and making good decisions rather than acting impulsively.
The biggest fault of young drivers today is they think they’re invincible. They’re not.
This sad case surely drives that point home.
