Jeremy Reid violates parole for 2nd time
A drunk driver who caused a high profile hit and run in Western Labrador has once again violated his parole.
The Parole Board of Canada released its decision to revoke Jeremy Reid's parole last week.
Reid admitted to drinking and later hitting Shane Mercer and Leisa Penney with his vehicle in Wabush in 2010.
Penney was seriously injured, and Mercer later died in hospital due to his injuries.
Reid pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death, and was sentenced to four years in jail.
He was granted day parole in late 2012, but was taken back into custody in December of that year.
He was let out on day parole at a halfway house in Stephenville in April, and was told not to use drugs, drink alcohol, operate a vehicle, and to avoid drinking establishments.
But just six weeks later, Reid tested positive for Valium without a prescription.
Police arrested Reid, and he was brought to a local correctional facility, where staff said he remained "in an altered state for several days."
Documents from the Parole Board of Canada state that Reid told police he took the drug because of an anxiety attack.
It said Reid's actions show the "ease with which [Reid] can return to [his] criminal pattern."
A spokesperson for the parole board said Reid will be eligible for full parole in January 2015.
Victim's father 'not surprised'
Dave Mercer, Shane Mercer's father, said he wasn't shocked to see the Parole Board of Canada's report.
"My reaction is that I was not surprised," he said.
Mercer said he always thinks back on the night of the accident.
"It crosses my mind every waking moment. Every night I go to bed, and when I wake up, I relive this — I relive this incident," he said.
Mercer said Reid's criminal pattern keeps repeating.
"There a year and a half ago, when he got his first day parole, he could have got out, he could have cleaned up his act, and he could have come and shown some remorse. He could have went back to society, try to help society, but no — he went and took the wrong road and he will offend again," he said.
Mercer said the repeated offences show that the justice system isn't working.
"If the people in the institutions know that he's doing this, and they still give him chances over and over again... To me — I just don't understand what the justice system is all about," he said.
