‘Brooklyn Larson’s Law’ would increase penalty for causing great harm when violating traffic law

The driver who ran a stop sign and collided with a vehicle carrying little Brooklyn Larson on her way to school, killing her, received just a $130 ticket.

No court appearance. No opportunity for Brooklyn’s parents, Patrick and Ginger, to see the person whose careless driving was responsible for taking their daughter’s life face a judge, or anything more serious than a petty misdemeanor.

HF492, sponsored by Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake), would change that, making it a misdemeanor if a vehicle operator violates traffic laws and causes great bodily harm or death.

“I don’t think people understand the extra grief there is when there should be a court hearing and you should get to meet the person who did this,” Ginger Larson told the House Transportation Finance and Policy Division Tuesday. “And you don’t.”

The division approved the bill, as amended, referring it to the House Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Karin Housley (R-St. Marys Point) sponsors a companion, SF2127, which awaits action by the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.

Great bodily harm is defined in the state’s criminal code as bodily injury that creates a high chance of death; causes serious disfigurement; or causes permanent or protracted impairment. A misdemeanor penalty is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 90 days imprisonment.

“We can’t change what happened … but we can make sure this doesn’t happen in the future,” Dettmer said.