LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. (WKRN) — “There’s a long road to recovery, and this woman has almost nothing in terms of punishment for what happened,” Joe Giamanco said.
A driver recently saw her day in court after reportedly hitting a Lawrenceburg pediatrician while he was riding a bike.
For the past six months, Dr. Thomas Scott Benefield has been recovering from a traumatic brain injury at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
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Back in August, Benefield was riding his bike when he was struck by a Jeep and thrown into a ditch. The driver allegedly sped off, leaving the doctor unconscious.
“The fact that she left him there to die on the side of the road, thank God that there was somebody who was right behind him because if that person wasn’t there, I am convinced that he would not have made it,” Giamanco said.
This week, Giamanco gave a victim impact statement in court, as well as an update on Benefield’s recovery.
“The brain injury is the one that’s going to be a long, long-term recovery,” Giamanco said.
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According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the driver was charged for leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in injury and failure to provide due care. A judge handed down almost a year of probation and restitution for medical bills on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in Lawrence County.
“This person made a mistake. No one thinks that she did it on purpose, but failing to pull over could have cost Scott his life,” Giamanco said.
He said the justice system failed his family. Benefield’s seven children and wife continue to be by his bedside.
“It is gut-wrenching to watch his kids say goodbye to him, and him struggle to say, ‘I love you,’ and that’s what the family has to live with every single day,” Giamanco said.
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He added Benefield’s family only asks for prayers.
“It is leading to Scott’s healing, and it’s going to lead to his complete healing in the long run,” Giamanco said.
According to court records in Lawrence County, the driver is responsible for paying over $14,000 in restitution for medical bills. However, Giamanco said that’s a small amount compared to how many bills they have accrued.
A GoFundMe can be found here .
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