Pubdate: Wed, 01 Feb 2012
Source: Fort Collins Coloradoan (CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Fort Collins Coloradoan
Contact: http://www.coloradoan.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.coloradoan.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1580
Author: Carolyn Gallaher

HELP US GET JUSTICE FOR OUR DAUGHTER

I am confused more than ever now. Since my last opinion letter Dec. 1 
about the Fort Collins Police Department handling of my daughter's, 
Melissa Noel Gallaher's accident on Sept. 18, 2010 (she died Sept. 
24, 2010), I have found out that the police department changed the 
police report three weeks after we got our copy.

The police report we received had a redaction on it. The redaction 
was on the driver's medical issue. The new police report took the 
redaction off but they did not inform us about the change. The 
information that was revealed was that the driver had a medical 
marijuana card and that he had smoked marijuana earlier that day at 9:30 a.m.

According to the Drug Enforcement Authority, a person can still be 
under the influence 24 hours after smoking.

The driver had red eyes, admitted to smoking pot earlier and there 
was an open container of alcohol in the vehicle. The vehicle hit my 
daughter, who was 5 feet from making it to the curb. She was standing 
under a street light and three green traffic lights that do give off 
some illuminations when she was hit. I do not believe this is the 
kind of justice that the residents of Fort Collins want to be known 
for. I am asking you for help to get justice for my daughter. Do you 
think the police should have notified us of the change? Thank you for 
helping me.

Carolyn Gallaher,

Tulsa, Okla.
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