Drunk driver who hit Hudson jogger Tina Adams sentenced to 8 months in jail

In a rare move, a Quebec man must visit schools and speak to young people about impaired driving as part of his punishment for driving drunk.

Jordan Taylor, 26, was also sentenced to eight months in jail in a Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courtroom Tuesday.

In 2015, while driving impaired, Taylor struck Tina Adams with his car while she was out jogging on Cambridge Street in Hudson, west of Montreal. 

Adams, who has since undergone 19 operations, was so seriously injured that she feared she might never walk again.

"I'm happy that I'll be able to just turn the page on this, on the court process, and then I'll just have to have the struggles of my own for the rest of my life," she said.

Adams surprised the court earlier this month when she suggested that Taylor join her to give talks on the consequences of drunk driving, an offer which Taylor accepted.

As part of his probation, Quebec court Judge Bernard St-Arnaud said Taylor must give 10 conferences, either on his own or alongside Adams.

"If he can help me save lives or change people's behaviour, I'm ready to do it with him," Adams said.

Victim had hoped for more jail time 

Considering everything she went through, Adams said she was hoping the judge would sentence Taylor to 18 months in jail.

However, she is happy Taylor will have to do the conferences with her.

"He has to live with that guilt, that my life was completely destroyed because of him. And I think for the students to hear, for people to hear that my life has changed — but in a way, so did his — I think it would have a major impact."

Taylor pleaded guilty to impaired driving and impaired driving causing bodily harm last June.

Defence lawyer Philip Schneider said Taylor agreed to do the conferences without hesitation.

"It's a delicate situation, obviously — it takes a lot of co-operation between everybody, and it takes, I would think, the co-operation of the audience that is going to hear these people ... that they're respectful of both of them, and they listen to them, and they learn from them," he said.

Adams said she believes Taylor has learned from his mistakes, and Schneider said his client understands the consequences of what he has done. 

"He feels horrible about it. He has, for the past three and a half years."

Taylor told the court during his sentencing hearing that it was a "big mistake to drive that car that day," and that he has wanted to apologize for a long time but was barred from communicating with Adams.