Earlier this week, ThoroldToday published an exclusive story that required some digging: An elderly couple is suing city councillor Jim Handley for $3.4-million, alleging he was “careless” and “incompetent” when he hit them with his pickup truck as they walked across a downtown Thorold intersection three years ago.
Joseph and Joan Vernon, who live in St. Catharines, claim they suffered “serious, severe, disabling and permanent injuries” because of Handley’s “negligence” behind the wheel on the night of Dec. 6, 2019. He was “driving carelessly” and “failed to yield the right of way to pedestrians,” the lawsuit alleges.
None of the allegations have been tested in court, and in his statement of defence, Handley “expressly denies” any wrongdoing. In fact, the veteran city councillor says if anyone was negligent that evening, it was the two senior citizens who "suddenly and without warning" walked in front of his truck.
In a recent episode of Village Media's "Behind the Scenes," ThoroldToday reporter Bernard Lansbergen explains the events leading up to the lawsuit and what happens next in the legal proceedings.
You can watch all our "Behind the Scenes" segments here.
