Hit-&-Run Victim Confronts Accused Driver At Plea Hearing: 'He Took Away My Life'
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BROWARD (CBSMiami) – The man accused in a 2014 Christmas Eve hit and run will spend 20 years in prison after taking a plea deal in a Broward County courtroom on Wednesday. The victim that man is accused of hitting got a chance to speak his mind about the crash at the hearing.
CBS4's Carey Codd has covered this case since it happened, and he's interviewed Robert Games, the victim, several times.
Despite being left a paraplegic, he's always been restrained in his thoughts about the accident and the suspect.
However, he didn't hold back on Thursday.
"He took away my life. I had a career. Not a job, but a career. I was a healthy, 6'2", active person. I had a life," Games said.
Games sat in his wheelchair in a Broward County courtroom finally setting his eyes on the man accused of leaving him a paraplegic following a hit-and-run crash in December of 2014.
Thomas Pathammavong pled no contest to causing the crash.
Games got a chance to tell Pathammavong what he thought of him.
"To drive away from this, from what he did to me, he's just in his own little world over there. It's just amazing," Games said.
Games said he always wanted to have kids, but now that won't happen.
"He took away my possibility of having kids now. I can't have kids," he said.
Pathammavong, who is just 24 years old, received a sentence of 20 years in prison followed by five years probation.
Games said he knows that's a long time to spend in prison, but says it's nothing compared to what he received.
"He totally destroyed my life. When he gets out in 20 years, he can still get a job, he can still have a family," Games said.
Games said he hopes this accident reminds people that if you hit someone, do not flee the scene – it only makes it worse for everyone involved.
