The mother of one of the six people killed by a drunk driver in the horrific 2004 Canada Day crash in Cochin wants to warn the public about the driver's release.
Jane Jackson, whose daughter Angela Meyers lost her life in that collision, is concerned about the upcoming statutory release of Norma Jean Mooswa and wants the community to be aware.
She said she wants "the community to be aware she's going to be with them again." Jackson also wants people to know the restrictions Mooswa will be under so "if anyone sees her in a bar or drinking, to report her."
"That's my main concern and that should be the community's concern too," said Jackson.
Mooswa was the driver behind the wheel of the vehicle that slammed into the back of a Toyota Echo that was stopped at a stop sign in Cochin on July 1, 2004. Meyers, 24, was inside the Toyota, along with Tarrah Higginbotham, 21, who was also killed. Four people in the vehicle Mooswa was driving were also killed: Elvis Kennedy, Clarence Louis, Lorinda Assessayo and Amanda Bearsears. Four others were injured.
A black box from Mooswa's car indicated later that her vehicle was speeding at 160 kph at the time of the collision.
Mooswa was convicted in December 2004 of six counts of impaired driving causing death and four counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm. For the past number of years she has been serving her sentence at a healing lodge near Maple Creek.
According to a Parole Board of Canada correspondence to Jackson dated May 10, which she provided to the Regional Optimist, Mooswa is due to be released from the healing lodge by her legislated statutory release date of Aug. 20. Her statutory release destination is Cochin.
According to the correspondence the release is expected to take place on the last working day before that date, which is Aug. 19.
A number of conditions have been imposed by the Parole Board of Canada on Mooswa's statutory release. She may not enter any establishments where the primary source of income is derived through the sale of alcohol and she must abstain from the use of alcohol.
These conditions are to remain in effect until the end of the sentence Dec. 19, 2014. Offenders on statutory release may be returned to custody if they violate their conditions of release or if their behavior while on release poses an undue risk to the public.
For her part, Jackson doesn't express confidence Mooswa will abide by the conditions set out by the parole board given her track record for violating conditions of release.
She pointed to the fact Mooswa was behind the wheel with her license already suspended at the time of the July 1 collision, due to previous drinking and driving convictions. Mooswa was also facing another impaired driving charge at the time the Canada Day crash took place.
Jackson is, unsurprisingly, upset Mooswa is being released just seven years after that tragedy and said she says Mooswa should be "indefinitely jailed." She also wonders whether Mooswa feels any remorse for what she had done.
"I never got any of that at the sentencing," Jackson said.
Jackson says the public "has the right to be aware" Mooswa will be returning to Cochin community. She wants the public to be on the lookout and make sure Mooswa abides by all the conditions of her statutory release, and especially to not drink and drive.
