A Canadian woman who hit and killed a boy riding his bike is now suing the boy and his family for emotional trauma she has suffered after the accident.
If you had to read that sentence twice, you’re not alone. Because it seems that everyone on the internet is finding this story a little hard to believe.
But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
It was a dark night in October 2012.
Seventeen-year-old Brandon Majewski and his two mates were riding along a road in Toronto on a quest to get late-night hot dogs. At 1:30am, the group was struck by the SUV driven by Sharlene Simon, a mother-of-three.
Brandon died from his injuries. His friend Richard McLean, 16, was seriously injured, while his other mate Jake Roberts, 16, sustained just a few scratches.
Simon claims she didn’t see the teenagers or the reflectors on their bicycles.
And now, almost two years later, it’s been reported that Simon is suing the three boys and their families for more than $1 million.
Simon says the teenagers were “incompetent bicyclists” who didn’t apply their brakes properly and wants compensation because she “sustained serious and permanent injuries to important physical, mental and psychological functions” from the accident.
And if that’s not harsh enough, get this:
Simon’s claims come despite the fact that the 42-year-old has previously admitted to “driving at 90 km/h in an 80 km/h zone on the two-lane road” on the night Majewski died. There have also been allegations – although not tested in court – that she might have been on her phone.
Brandon’s mother, Venetta Mylnczyk told the Toronto Sun that she was devastated and in shock.
“She killed my child and now she wants to profit from it? She says she’s in pain? Tell her to look inside my head and she will see pain, she will see panic, she will see nightmares,” Mylnczyk said.
Brian Cameron, the lawyer representing Brandon’s family, said he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.
“In all of my years as a lawyer, I have never seen anyone ever sue a child that they killed,” he said. “It’s beyond the pale. I just couldn’t bring myself to tell them on the phone.”
Top Comments
On thing to point out, from previous news articles I have read that the boys did not have lights on their bikes and they were wearing dark clothing at or slightly after 1 in the morning. I ride to and from work on night shift and I know that its a necessity to have lights and hi-vis clothing for night riding. So these boys did the wrong thing. In saying that, I do disagree with suing the boys' families for psychological affects regardless of whether the boys were in the wrong or not. Also the boys' families should not be able to sue either because the boys were in the wrong. Both parties have lost in this unfortunate incident, so they should leave each other alone and move on with life without suing each other. And before anyone makes a comment about this being harsh, I have lost a child myself and I know how hard that is, but life does go on.
Bikes have brakes not breaks.
Is that all you got from this article?
Is that honestly what stood out to you reading this story? Wow.....