Momentary lapses

As a journo, I come across some awful news stories. I'm thankful that I haven't been completely desensitised just yet, but it can't be far off...
However every now and then you come across a story that restores your faith in humanity. If only a little.
An Albany woman was speaking on ABC Radio this morning. Her 17-year-old daughter had been killed in a head-on crash when a young doctor, who I understand was travelling home from an extended shift at the hospital, crossed over to the other side of the road and hit her.
By all accounts she was killed instantly, but that didn't stop the doctor, who at this point had a broken collarbone, from giving her emergency medical attention in the vain hope she would survive.
When the case went to court, this Albany woman, the mother of the girl who was killed, pleaded with the judge not to give the man a harsh sentence.
She said on the radio this morning that, by all accounts, the man involved was a "fine young man with his whole life ahead of him." She said the crash was caused by a moment of inattention, something that has happened to her before but she was lucky enough not to have endangered anyone's life at the time.
She made the point that she had already lost a daughter, and there was no sense in ruining another life by sending the young man to jail.
He was given a spent conviction and walked free for court.
Hearing this made me think - how many times have we been driving when we've accidently swerved to the side of the road, gone a little bit over the speed limit or had other momentary lapses like that.
Imagine if there was someone walking down the side of the road that one time when you went to change songs on your cd player and you hit and killed them.
You'd want the same level of forgiveness from the person's family, wouldn't you?
I know I would.