It has been two weeks since a 23-year-old Iraq war veteran slammed his car into a Sutherlin railroad crossing arm at more than 90 mph in a highly visible suicide attempt.
Billy Canfield, formerly a member of the Army National Guard's Charlie Company, survived the crash but broke five vertebrae in his back. He was scheduled to be released from the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center this afternoon.
Less than a week before the crash, Canfield attempted to take his own life by overdosing on his prescription medications, according to his wife, Cassandra Canfield.
She said the mental health services available locally were not adequate to help her husband. She said she hopes his story will inspire new programs and other means of support for those struggling to readjust to civilian life.
Heather Morse
http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20111115/NEWS/111119881/1063/NEWS&ParentProfile=1055
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