Too Old To Drive?
Ninety-six year old Byron Cox shuffled into a Santa Monica, California courtroom Wednesday to hear a sentence he may not have understood for a crime he's unaware he committed, reports CBS News Correspondent Jerry Bowen.
Mark Mitock was also there, painfully aware of what happened last November. His fifteen year-old daughter Brandi was killed in a crosswalk by a hit and run driver. That driver was Byron Cox, a victim of dementia who had a valid driver's license.
"It's a horrible day to have to be here speaking for my late daughter who was vibrant and very much alive and should be that way today," Mitock said. "I'm shocked. I think that is ultimately the greatest crime that, at the age of 92, Mr. Cox received a license renewal in the mail."
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| Brandi Mitock (CBS) |
In California, where there are one million licensed drivers over age 75, including one who is 105 years old, it's possible to take just one driving test and never be checked again.
Brandi's Law, a proposal requiring all California drivers over age 75 to take a full road, written and vision test, would change that. Thirteen others states already have similar requirements.
"You know I'm not a vindictive man. I'm just looking for justice another way," Mitock said. Justice on the highway and something to be done in our daughter s name."
Byron Cox sat quietly in court as Brandi's mother and sister spoke of their grief. He was then sentenced to 5 years probation and lost his driver's license.