“We serve the life sentence.”

That from the widow of Lori Neville. The young Wyoming woman was out for a bike ride as part of a charity event in August 2020 when she was struck by a car and killed.

Melissa Miller pled guilty to careless driving causing death under the Highway Traffic Act in June 2022.

Miller was on the road as part of her job as a home care nurse. She had just returned from vacation and was dealing with the issues which arose while she was away. On her way back to Corunna, on Petrolia Line, Miller sent a text. While she was distracted, she crashed into Neville, killing her.

Natalie Neville and her family were in court Feb. 10 when Justice Mark Poland delivered the verdict. – 45 days in jail to be served on weekends along with a two year driving ban.

“I went numb,” Natalie Neville told The Independent.

“I was in disbelief and honestly so angry that mine and Lori’s family and friends are left with nothing and she (Miller) looses 45 days of her regular life.”

Neville says it is an “absolute disaster” that Miller will serve the time on weekends.

“Justice Poland admitted that Lori was at no fault, she was wearing all protective equipment required plus more but she and her loved ones pay the price. We were served the life sentence.”

Miller was originally charged under the Criminal Code, but Poland explained the OPP made an error when it took possession of Miller’s phone at the scene. The criminal conviction would not have been successful because of the mistake.

“It is extremely frustrating and difficult to wrap our heads around how a mistake by the police took this case from one of the higher criminal offences that could have resulted in (Miller) serving life to a highway traffic offence (with a sentence) was a slap on the wrist.

“Our justice system is failing us and charges like this don’t stop people from doing the same thing,” says Neville.

“I understand OPP officers are human and humans make mistakes but this was not a small mistake.”

Neville says it was extremely difficult for the family to listen to character references of the driver and her work as a home care worker through the pandemic, knowing Lori’s character.

And Neville says it was very difficult to relay the news of the sentence to their son, Oliver, who is now five. She picked him up from school to explain what had happened.

“He is still so young that he doesn’t understand everything,” she says. “On the flip side of that, he knows way more about death then any five year-old should need to know.”

The loss of Lori affected more than just her son, Neville added. “My brother’s kids are crushed. His younger two don’t remember Lori at all, but his older two do.

“The oldest and Lori were best buddies and he has struggled a lot, too. He is old enough to understand everything that has gone on and it is extremely hard to watch these young kids suffer because of something that was completely preventable.”