(SIOUX CITY, IA) A Sioux City family wants Justice for their son Cody Harris.
He was killed while riding his dirt bike after 37-year-old, Kimberly Pauley, pulled out in front of him last September. Since the accident, Pauley has been charged with misdemeanor traffic citations.
But Harris's family says, she deserves more than just a slap on the wrist.
They are still in shock over the death of their son. But they say, what's more shocking, is that Kimberly Pauley is a free woman with no jail time, and no serious penalties.
Pauley has a long list of traffic violations dating back to 1993, including driving without insurance or a license, and failure to secure a child. Cody's parents, Cyndi and Terry Harris say, stiffer penalties are needed for habitual traffic offenders.
September 27, 2012, 25-year-old Cody Harris was on his way to a friend's house.
He had just left "Harris Brother Cycle" a motorcycle shop his family owns.
"He was going to meet us for dinner, which was at our house out on Correctionville road, and that, I'll see you later. And Then I stepped out and watched him ride off into the sunset," says Terry Harris, Cody's father.
It was mid-day, just after 3 o'clock. Nothing could prepare Cody's parents, for what happened next.
"Two police officers, and I don't recall their names, stepped into the building and asked if I was the father of Cody Harris, and that he'd been killed in a motorcycle, automobile crash," he says.
A parent's worst nightmare. 37-year-old Kimberly Pauley was the other driver, she was turning left into a driveway, when she hit Harris. He died at the scene.
The Harris's say police tested Cody for drugs and alcohol, but never tested Pauley.
"We want the law changed, so that both parties involved in a fatality, or possibly a serious accident would be tested," says Harris.
Pauley was cited for a few misdemeanors, a punishment, Cyndi and Terry say isn't enough.
"We as a society, put this person back out on the street," says Cody's Mom, Cyndi Harris. "And how many others are there out there? What can we do?"
So they took their concerns to Iowa House representative, Chris Hall, who says he plans to get justice for Cody.
"I've got a bill draft submitted, and we're in the process of actually getting some language for the mandatory testing of both parties in a fatal accident. It's a fairly straight forward request, I suspect we'll see language in black and white in the next couple of weeks," says Hall.
He also plans on trying to get more legislation passed to prevent habitual traffic offenders from breaking the law again.
Pauley pleaded not guilty to all three misdemeanors -- failure to yield on left turn and driving without a valid license or insurance. The District Attorney took the possibility of a plea deal off the table, moving the case to state level.
Pauley will be arraigned in court on February 1st, 2013.
All three charges will be re-evaluated, and if any new charges come about, they'll also be presented at that time.
Hleigh@siouxlandnews.com
www.facebook.com/heatherleighKMEG
